Snow socks: how they work and when to use them

The snow socks Are they “worth” as much as chains or winter tires on a regulatory level? For a few years, yes, to be precise from 23 February 2023when the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport implemented the European legislation on additional grip devices of which snow socks are part. The provision signed by the MIT intervened on paragraph 2 of article 1 of the decree of 10 May 2011: “Additional adhesion devices compliant with the Uni En 16662-1:2020 standard are presumed to have been constructed in a workmanlike manner”. There conditionTherefore, for snow socks to be eligible as an alternative to M+S chains or tires, they must be comply with the directive. If they are, then they can be worn on mandatory sections without the risk of incurring sanctions.

TEXTILE INTERACTION

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Snow socks are additional grip devices made up of synthetic fibers with high strength and toughness. They literally wrap the tire, acting as a filter between the rubber and the snow covering the surface. The texture of snow socks generates greater friction than rubber, managing to trap the snow between the fibers and thus generating a “snow on snow” contact which offers greater grip than “rubber on snow” contact. Compared to chains, the contact between the socks and the road surface is not localized on a small surface (the links) but on the entire extension of the tread, so the ride is smoother and active safety systems such as ABS can work more “gently”.

WHO THEY ARE SUITABLE FOR

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The fact that snow socks have not pushed thermal tires or snow chains into retirement suggests that they have strengths but also limitations. The most intuitive among advantages of snow socks it is the ease of installation, with steps, compared to snow chains, generally simpler and within the reach of those who do not have great manual skills. They are also excellent for cars that cannot fit chains due to lack of space in the wheel arches, they don’t cost much and guarantee high driving comfort. But, as mentioned, they also have gods limits. Generally they are unable to generate much grip on ice (where the metal chains, by physically breaking the frozen layer, guarantee greater traction), they cannot be used at more than 50 km/h (limit shared with the chains) and they deteriorate rapidly in contact with the asphalt, so they must be removed on non-snow covered stretches where they worsen road holding. The snow socks are therefore suitable to those looking for an emergency device with which to deal with the snow, less so to those who live in the mountains and often face snow-covered roads, perhaps even on slopes.

CHECKS

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Snow socks, like chains, are available in various measures: choose the right size for your car by consulting the manufacturer’s documentation and keeping the tire size handy. If the manufacturer has successfully subjected its snow socks to the performance tests required by UNI EN 16662-1:2020, then they comply with Italian legislation and can be used as an alternative to snow chains or thermal tires in the sections where the obligation applies. Given what is at stake – both in terms of performance and therefore safety in adverse weather conditions and in terms of sanctions (fines can range from 87 to 344 euros) – it is mandatory to verify compliance with the regulations of the chosen model before finalizing the purchase, and then check that the compliance details are marked on each of the socks.