Another weekend of cold and snow: time to fit snow chains. Do you know how to use them?

The storm has hit the Cantabrian coast hard, especially Asturias, but the rain and cold can at any moment cause roads, and especially mountain passes, to become covered by snow. If at that moment you are travelling on one of those roads and they are still open to traffic, you may need to use snow chains to continue your journey in complete safety. It is time to ask yourself two questions. The first, and most important: do you have snow chains? The second and more worrying: do you know how to fit them?

Spain is not a country where snow chains are commonly used. Except in mountainous areas and in the north, their use is practically unnecessary. That is why, when we come across a snowy road, most Spanish drivers do not carry chains in their boot, nor have they ever needed to fit them at any point in their lives. As a result, roads are often blocked by drivers who set off for parts of the country where chains are essential without making sure they have them, or who hope that some good samaritan will come along and help them fit them.

In winter, keeping chains in your car takes up barely more space than a small sports bag. If you live in a mountainous area or where it often rains and gets cold, make sure you always keep them in the boot, or even fit winter tyres, because, as we have seen all January, it can snow, and it can snow so much in a few minutes that you are forced to use them. As for the good samaritan, it is better to spend a few minutes at home practising fitting the chains before setting off than to have to learn how to do it below zero, in the middle of a blizzard and in the middle of the road.

Modern chains are no longer like the classic ones of old. The newer ones are easy to fit and are designed precisely for that. You can find chains from as little as five euros up to 70-80 euros. The choice is yours, but always look for quality and durability. And choose carefully, because not every car model accepts every type of chain. Before buying, check the owner’s manual to see whether your vehicle’s wheel arches can accommodate them.

Chains have evolved over time, making them much easier to fit

When you are going to fit them, remember that your safety comes first. Position yourself off the road and signal your position clearly. When you are crouching down fitting them, you will not be able to move quickly to avoid a car approaching you that has not noticed your presence. Switch on your hazard lights and put on your high-visibility vest before you get out of the car. Place the warning triangles at the required distances, and arrange them so that you “gain” enough safety space to fit the chains. Remember that you carry two warning triangles, and that you should place one in each direction of travel if the road has two-way traffic. If you are on a dual carriageway or motorway, place them in the direction of travel before reaching your car, and arrange them in a staggered line to somewhat “force” approaching vehicles to use the lane furthest from your position.

Take the chains out of the bag and lay them out. Read the fitting instructions carefully that come in the bag, and always remember to put them back away afterwards. In the attached videos, made by Volkswagen, we show you how to fit two types of chains, metal and fabric. Both are of modern design, so fitting them is simpler. Fabric chains are the most recommended and quickest to fit, but they are also the most expensive. Modern metal chains have better anchoring and feature rings that make fitting easier.

Remember that chains are only for driving at low speed on a road with heavy snow. Driving with them fitted when there is no snow can be dangerous and very damaging to key components of your vehicle, so it is better to stop and remove them, even though you may need to fit them again later. In any case, always drive at low speed (50 km/h maximum).

When you remove your chains, make sure to store them properly and, whenever you can, try to dry them as soon as you reach your destination, as moisture is harmful to their upkeep, especially if you will not be using them for a long time. If you do not want to find rusted, corroded or rotten chains when you need them again, the best thing is to dry them and return them to their original packaging.

And above all, do not forget that, even when you use chains, you are still driving on ice and snow, so take care above all, use low gears, and press the brake and accelerator pedals gently.

Fitting metal chains

https://youtu.be/RGSH9GWGOJ0

Fitting fabric chains

https://youtu.be/TNv3b_Q3DmA