Since November 1, in certain mountainous French departments, the Mountain Law now applies. This law aims to strengthen road safety and requires drivers of motor vehicles, wearing safety equipment. Among the authorized and approved equipment are what are called “snow socks”, specific devices, praised for their advantages. Among these, we find the ease of installation, the price or even the possible reuse from one year to the next. However, these snow socks also have disadvantages that are never mentioned to you when you purchase them. Which ones? Answer in this article.
Disadvantage #1: Limited Durability
Snow socks, as their name suggests, are designed to driving on icy or snowy asphalt ! On the other hand, if you ride on dry surfaces, made of “special fabric”, they will not resist the aggressiveness of the bitumen for long! Durable yes, but on condition that you only use them on snow or ice.
Disadvantage No. 2: restricted use
You absolutely must be aware of this disadvantage to guarantee your safety! With snow socks, don't imagine taking yourself for Sébastien Loeb during the Andros Trophies, or to imitate him in his… controlled slips! In fact, snow socks are effective exclusively at low speed (generally limited to 30-50 km/h depending on the model). For fast or long highway journeys, they are not suitable. In addition, they are not suitable for thick layers of snow or extreme conditions.
Disadvantage #3: Reduced grip in certain conditions
Here again, before buying these socks, you should be aware that they work perfectly on fresh snow, less so on slush or compact snow. In addition, they are not really suitable for vehicles that are too heavy (SUV, 4 × 4, utility vehicles, campers, etc.). The weight of vehicles “crushes” the sock which no longer adheres correctly to the roadway.
Disadvantage No. 4: very frequent handling!
Since they are designed to drive on snowy or icy roads, you could spend your time putting on and taking off your equipment. Let me explain with an example. You arrive at the bottom of a station, without socks, you put them on, then the road clears and you have to take them off, then put them back on as soon as the road gets busy again. Not very practical when you find yourself in the monster traffic jams on February weekends!
Disadvantage No. 5: possible and uncontrollable slips!
Be careful, putting on snow socks is not like putting on your slippers on a winter morning. Poorly adjusted, they could decide to act rebellious and get lost in the middle of the road. Result ? A slipping sock, a slipping tire, and you wondering why you put your trust in a textile accessory to face Mother Nature. Morality: take the time to install them correctlyunless you like surprises (and cold sweats) on the road!
-Disadvantages, but also advantages obviously
In summary, snow socks are a practical and easy to use solution for occasional or one-off use on snowy roads. Less expensive than chains or winter tires, they are mainly reserved for those who occasionally use snowy roads. And you ? Do you already use snow socks and what do you think of them? Do not hesitate to give us your opinion, or to share your experience with us. Please notify us of any errors in the text, click here to post a comment.
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