Like many places at the moment we´ve been hit here in Spain with heavy snowfall. If you are not accustomed to driving in the snow or on ice it can be very stressful and even frightening. It is vital that your tires are in good shape and if you have snow tires then have them fitted. In my case, on the recommendation of my brother-in-law Rafa Encinas, I recently purchased Autosocks and I have to say that they are one of the smartest purchases I have made in recent times.
They cost me 49 euros for a pair and they slip very easily over the front wheels of your car. The special material that they are made from helps your wheels grip the snow and ice and they prevent slipping and sliding. I believe that they are based on the paws of animals that live in snowy conditions but I may be wrong. Anyway I had a chance to try them out for the first time last Saturday while departing from Bilbao towards Santander. Shortly after leaving Bilbao the road climbs steeply at a point know as Saltacaballos. Heavy snowfall had left the road icy and cars were slipping and sliding all over the place. Mine was no exception as I eventually found myself going nowhere while my tires just spun on the ice. In less than 5 minutes I had fitted the Autosocks and was delighted to find upon starting up my car again that my wheels could grip the snow and I moved off easily, with no difficulty. They recommend not exceeding 50 kms per hour and only using the Autosocks on snow or ice so after a few kilometres, when I had cleared the worst of it, I was able to jump out of the car and pull the socks within seconds. The following day I heard that cars were stranded for hours in Saltacaballos and I mentally thanked my brother-in-law for his great advice.
Tags: “driving on snow” and “driving on ice”
