Snow chains - are they illegal in Ireland?

CiniO · 18-10-2011 06:57PM #1

Probably there it was already discussed here, but I must have missed it.

I was in Halfords today, and just for couriosity I asked about snow chains.
She told me, they didn't have them in stock, but she could order them for me. Price would be between 70 and 100 euros depending on size.
But she said as well, they were illegal to use in Ireland.

I was really surprised, as I never heard it was illegal?

Is it really illegal to use them, even on roads covered with ice or snow?

If so, could someone please quote any legislation in regards this.

PS. I know they wouldn't be much useful in Ireland, but I will need a set anyway, as during winter I might be going to holidays to Austrian Alps, where on many roads covered with snow they are obligatory. So in that case I thought I get them earlier here in Ireland, as in my area there are many hilly roads, where I heard last year many people weren't able to climb up some hills covered with ice in December.
I was actually away then, so I didn't see it

Can't see though any cheap source of snow chains in Ireland. Anyone know any?

johnos1984 · 18-10-2011 06:59PM

I don't think they are illegal

I spotted a number of vehicles using them during the bad weather in Wicklow last year.

And they were nessecary here

Paparazzo · 18-10-2011 07:02PM

I know a few people with them, their company got them. Wouldn't expect the company to get them if they're illegal.

one2one · 18-10-2011 10:24PM

AFAIK if you damage a road with their use you are liable for damages etc.

Del2005 · 19-10-2011 03:42AM

CiniO wrote: »

I was in Halfords today,

There's your problem. You'd be better off asking someone from the shop next door.

CiniO wrote: »

Can't see though any cheap source of snow chains in Ireland. Anyone know any?

As we usually don't get snow there's no chance of any deals. If anywhere has them in stock they know that people will panic buy and they can charge what they want.

Anan1 · 19-10-2011 10:56AM

Paparazzo wrote: »

I know a few people with them, their company got them. Wouldn't expect the company to get them if they're illegal.

That's cute.:) I was always under the impression that they are illegal here, because of the damage they do to bare tarmac.

JJJJNR · 19-10-2011 11:14AM

snow chains are only designed to work in deep mountain snow, so use them on your trip but not on light road snow like what we have.. they're not really worth it and they should be illegal, I doubt they are.

Noffles · 19-10-2011 03:02PM

one2one wrote: »

AFAIK if you damage a road with their use you are liable for damages etc.

When the snow hit last year you would be lucky to find road to damage... Especially rurally.

dr.fuzzenstein · 19-10-2011 03:09PM

Probably better off with snow socks, but only use them on back roads that are snowed under. If you sue them on motorway at 120 km/h, they won't last long. But same goes for chains.

Our man in Havana · 19-10-2011 03:34PM

Nothing illegal about snow chains. They are compulsory equipment in many countries.

Tabnabs · 19-10-2011 03:40PM

Is it illegal to use chains? No. Is it illegal to damage the road? Yes. There is a (snowy) grey area where their use is perfectly legal and of some benefit.

Tea 1000 · 19-10-2011 03:43PM

You really only need snow chains in about 4 inches of snow and above. Cops won't have check-points out in that weather, so work away!

Toots · 19-10-2011 03:59PM

I got some on eBay cos I live in a mountainy area and last year there was a good 5 inches of impacted snow on the road, it was about €70 for two sets plus DPD delivery. They have them on Amazon for fairly reasonable prices but they're being sold by a store trading through Amazon and they don't ship to the ROI.

AFAIK if you use them on bare tarmac and damage the road you're liable for the damages but I'd be more worried about what damage might be done to your wheels and tyres if you leave chains on when there's no snow. And as Tea 1000 said I very much doubt there'll be checkpoints if there's bad enough weather to warrant the use of snow chains. I always thought they were illegal (don't know who told me that) but TBH after the trouble I had trying to get from A to B last year I'll take my chances with the chains.

dr.fuzzenstein · 19-10-2011 06:46PM

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Nothing illegal about snow chains. They are compulsory equipment in many countries.

Agreed and appreciated, but this is not one of them.
If people where encouraged to use them here, you'd see the usual ignorant gobsh*tes on a perfectly clear road with chains doing 80 km/h.
20% of people still haven't copped how to use a motorway properly, snow chains will only confuse them more.
And I don't want to get a set of chains through my windscreen on the motorway because some moron was to thick to use them.

OldmanMondeo · 19-10-2011 07:12PM

CiniO wrote: »

Price would be between 70 and 100 euros depending on size.

Halfauds over the odds again. A decent set will cost about €60. They are fine to use in Ireland as long as the weather permits them, ie it is snowing...

CJhaughey · 19-10-2011 07:52PM

If you do the sums a car with a weight of say 1800kgs has 4 tyres on the road with car chains each chain is carrying roughly 450kg on to the road surface, I really can't see how much if any damage can be done to the tarmac.
If you had 1000's of cars going up and down the same patch of bare tarmac it could become and issue but the odd car using them is not going to do any more damage than the freeze and thaw cycle that we experienced last winter.
The Caveat is that drivers MUST travel at reduced speeds with these on. If they don't it can get messy.

Our man in Havana · 19-10-2011 08:00PM

Max 50 km/h on chains.

Tea 1000 · 20-10-2011 08:56AM

CJhaughey wrote: »

If you do the sums a car with a weight of say 1800kgs has 4 tyres on the road with car chains each chain is carrying roughly 450kg on to the road surface, I really can't see how much if any damage can be done to the tarmac.
If you had 1000's of cars going up and down the same patch of bare tarmac it could become and issue but the odd car using them is not going to do any more damage than the freeze and thaw cycle that we experienced last winter.
The Caveat is that drivers MUST travel at reduced speeds with these on. If they don't it can get messy.

It's not that simple. With the chains you'd only have a very small contact area with the road, so all the weight is on that point.
Besides, if they're used in the conditions they're meant for, you'll never contact the road with the chain anyway.

JJJJNR · 20-10-2011 09:39AM

Seriously why would you have chains on any road surface..? for example I drove my FWD car from the middle of Wicklow to work in baggot st every day during the very worst snow and winter conditions using my winter tires, uphill + downhill, around roundabouts, through housing estates, on motorways etc you do not need chains unless you are planning on taking your car up a field or on a short (200 yards) drive through some pack ice, there effectiveness is questionable from what I seen last year.

Anan1 · 20-10-2011 09:53AM

JJJJNR wrote: »

Seriously why would you have chains on any road surface..? for example I drove my FWD car from the middle of Wicklow to work in baggot st every day during the very worst snow and winter conditions using my winter tires, uphill + downhill, around roundabouts, through housing estates, on motorways etc you do not need chains unless you are planning on taking your car up a field or on a short (200 yards) drive through some pack ice, there effectiveness is questionable from what I seen last year.

The average Irish driver has yet to get their head around winter tyres - they get stuck, they think chains.:)

whippet · 20-10-2011 10:37AM

Anan1 wrote: »

The average Irish driver has yet to get their head around winter tyres - they get stuck, they think chains.:)

Its bizarre really.

the amount of people who took days of work in my office last year due to snow was un real. I was in every single day I even passed by the houses of people who were 'snowed in' and I didn't have either winter tyres, snow socks or chains. - just a bit of cop-on.

Mind you I probably will invest in a new set of wheels with winter tyres for this year as the missus is expecting and I'd prefer to be as prepared as I can should I have to make the dash in the middle of the night !!!

Anan1 · 20-10-2011 10:41AM

whippet wrote: »

Its bizarre really.

the amount of people who took days of work in my office last year due to snow was un real. I was in every single day I even passed by the houses of people who were 'snowed in' and I didn't have either winter tyres, snow socks or chains. - just a bit of cop-on.

Mind you I probably will invest in a new set of wheels with winter tyres for this year as the missus is expecting and I'd prefer to be as prepared as I can should I have to make the dash in the middle of the night !!!

On a purely personal level, i'd have preferred if more of the people without 'either winter tyres, snow socks or chains. - just a bit of cop-on' had stayed at home - you were a right pain in the @rse to be stuck behind. Good to hear you're doing it right this year.

JJJJNR · 20-10-2011 10:50AM

Ahh it wasn't that hard to drive around them now really.

Anan1 · 20-10-2011 10:56AM

One or two of them you could overtake, but a whole load of them slithering along at 20km/h all delighted with themselves at their 'skill' was a bit hard on the patience.:)

whippet · 20-10-2011 11:53AM

Anan1 wrote: »

Good to hear you're doing it right this year.

to be fair I wasn't slithering around at 20kph either.

Anan1 · 20-10-2011 11:58AM

whippet wrote: »

to be fair I wasn't slithering around at 20kph either.

I wasn't aiming any of that at you personally - I just can't get my head around the idea that driving on bald tyres in the rain = prosecute the driver, whereas driving on summers on snow seems to be perfectly acceptable. I'd imagine i'd be less of a liability on snow with four pints in me and winter tyres on the car than I would stone cold sober on summers. Anyways, i'm dragging this way OT so i'll stop now.

Snow chains - are they illegal in Ireland?

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