Effective November 1, 2021, the Mountain Law II will take effect, requiring vehicles weighing 3.5 metric tons to be equipped with four winter tires or “removable anti-skid devices” (snow chains or snow socks) when entering any of France’s mountain regions. Still undecided between winter tires and snow chains? Polaire offers valuable advice today to help you choose the best solution based on your budget and performance expectations.
New signage will be installed. To learn more, read our article on the “Loi Montagne II” signage regulations.
Sign B26 remains in effect, so you will be required to use snow socks or snow chains even if you have winter tires.
What are the benefits of snow chains?
Budget: A pair of snow chains is often more economical than a single tire, and one pair is all you need!
No snow? No wear and tear! Your investment is long-lasting: you only pay for them when you use them.
No expiration date! If well-maintained, they’ll still perform well even after 10 years.
Performance –> a pair of chains:
– When mounted on a winter tire, they offer unmatched performance.
– When mounted on a summer tire, they perform better than a 3PMSF winter tire.
– They continue to deliver high performance despite wear.
SAFETY ON SNOW AND ICE
In the mountains, SNOW CHAINS are an essential and indispensable companion to winter tires.
Snow chains: effective on all tires
To compare the performance on snow of winter tires, summer tires, winter tires fitted with chains, and summer tires fitted with chains, Polaire conducted several tests in snowy and icy conditions (0°C ±5°C) using a front-wheel-drive passenger car.
Getting Started:
Chains on summer tires improve performance by 65%.
Winter tires perform 61% better than summer tires.
Snow chains on 3pmsf tires increase performance by 34%.
Acceleration – uphill:
Chains on summer tires improve performance by 57%.
Winter tires perform 57% better than summer tires.
Chains on 3pmsf tires improve performance by 22%.
Braking and Stopping:
Snow chains on summer tires reduce the stopping distance by 49 meters.
Winter tires reduce the stopping distance by 48 meters compared to summer tires.
Snow chains on 3pmsf tires reduce the stopping distance by 6 meters.
Slowing Down – Descending:
Chains on summer tires improve performance by 65%.
Winter tires perform 61% better than summer tires.
Chains on 3PMSF tires increase performance by 25%. Furthermore, POLAIRE brand models equipped with winter tires deliver unmatched performance. In fact, when mounted on summer tires, they perform even better than new 3PMSF winter tires used on their own.
Performance is even better if, as with winter tires, the vehicle is equipped with four chains. Using two economical 3PMSF* tires or M+S tires would result in inferior performance. The performance of winter tires decreases as they wear down, whereas the performance of snow chains remains generally stable.
So, are you looking for the most effective—and also the most economical—solution? Then you’ll want to go with snow chains!
The advantage over buying four snow tires is significant: the chains will be much less expensive to purchase, and you’ll only need one pair of chains to install on the drive axle. Another significant advantage is that chains are only used in snow or on icy roads, so they’ll last much longer than four snow tires, since you’ll only incur costs when you actually use them. With proper maintenance, the chains will still perform just as well 10 years from now!
There are different types of snow chains available for all kinds of vehicles, whether or not they are considered suitable for snow chains, and they are quick and easy to install.
To help you choose the right snow chains, Polaire has provided a tool to help you find the solution that best fits your vehicle!
Combining safety, affordability, and performance, snow chains are the best choice.
Choose Polaire today and stay safe this winter!
*3PMSF: Winter tire standard with 3 Mountain Snowflake peaks, also known as the Alpine logo.