Are snow chains MANDATORY in NSW on 4WD

[winaje]

Hi all, heading to Cooma via Tumut on the long weekend towing an empty trailer with my D2 TD5.

It it MANDATORY for a 4WD to carry chains in snow prone areas of NSW. Can I be fined for not having them onboard?

**this has nothing to do with if it's smart or sensible or safe to not carry/use chains in a 4WD, just if it's compulsory to do so**

[Treads]

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong; but I believe it is optional (however recommended) to carry chains.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

From the NSW RTA - Safe driving in the snow (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/snowdriving.html)
"4WD vehicles
Although excluded from the requirements to carry and fit chains, the RTA recommends that persons driving 4WD vehicles (which include off-road vehicles, all wheel drive vehicles and sports utilities), except those fitted with winter tyres, carry snow chains and fit them when directed. They will assist you in driving on ice and snow by improving your vehicle’s traction with the slippery road. You may also need them in the event of extreme weather conditions.
If carrying snow chains, check in the vehicle’s user’s manual or with your service provider to which wheels they should be fitted.
Winter tyres are specifically designed for driving on roads affected by snow or ice. They provide performance equivalent to snow chains on 4WD vehicles when driving on snow, and a better performance than standard tyres when driving on clear roads in cold conditions. Although they are sometimes known as ‘snow tyres’, they should not be confused with ‘snow and mud tyres’ that are commonly fitted to off-road vehicles. They can be identified by a standard logo showing a snow flake and a mountain (see right).
As an alternative to snow chains, 4WD vehicles not fitted with winter tyres may be fitted with snow traction devices, such as items made from textiles, that comply with the Austrian Standard ONORM V5121.1."

Advise you print the page and carry it lest you find a coppa with less than accurate knowledge.

[winaje]

Thank you very much guys, relevant details printed and highlighted, will be in glovebox.

[Bundalene]

Even though snow chains may not be mandatary, Police and possibly other authorised persons can stop you proceeding if they determine a road is dangerous without snow chains. This is the case at Brown Mountain at present, with the police requiring all vehicles to use chains to continue.

Also, there are often temporary signs in alpine areas which state snow chains must be carried on a particular route. I assume this sign would over ride any general legislation.


Erich

[ade]

I am in WA, no snow here but have been interested lately to learn about snow driving techniques, what is required, what tyres work best?
low range what gear etc, can anyone give me tips, thanks

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Even though snow chains may not be mandatary, Police and possibly other authorised persons can stop you proceeding if they determine a road is dangerous without snow chains. This is the case at Brown Mountain at present, with the police requiring all vehicles to use chains to continue.

Also, there are often temporary signs in alpine areas which state snow chains must be carried on a particular route. I assume this sign would over ride any general legislation.

ErichYes we all know that there's the Law and then there's what the coppa thinks is the law that he (sic) acts upon.

While you may be strictly within the Law not to carry or fit them, in the snow and sleet is not the time to be arguing the finer points of Law, lest you be charged with failing to comply with a Lawful instruction of a Police officer.

[cewilson]

You won't have any issue running from Tumut to Cooma - they will have the snow plough out real early in the morning if they need to as it's the opening of the ski season. It's been out the last two days in a row.

I'm driving through there tomorrow so I'll send you a PM with my mobile number if you want to call me around lunch - I'll be able to let you know what it's like.


Cheers
Chris

[Treads]

I'm driving through there tomorrow so I'll send you a PM with my mobile number if you want to call me around lunch - I'll be able to let you know what it's like.


Lucky bugger :D

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Slightly off topic, when I was younger and competing in cross-country skiing events (even competed at inter-varsity, state and national level) and one of the reasons that I drove Range Rover, I would spend about 3 months on snow each year.

On one occasion staying at Smiggin's Hole, a Rolls Royce pulled into the car park with the entire outside of the rear wheel arch mangled just like it had been beaten with a million hammers. The owner had been told that he would need chains to get up the chalet, so he had his mechanic in Sydney fit them. Then he drove all the way down with the loose ends flailing away in both wheel arches. Some people have too much money and too little brain. :mad:

[Jeff]

Hi all, heading to Cooma via Tumut on the long weekend towing an empty trailer with my D2 TD5.**

If you see a large congregation of bikes halfway at the Yarrangobilly hut, beep and wave, no snow chains for bikes!

Jeff

:rocket:

[cewilson]

I beeped and waved on Friday afternoon at the few that were there - but no-one waved back......



I was in the missus Prado with the Trak Shak off of the back though!



BTW - trip report is at: Cabramurra – June 2011 | 4WD'ing – The family way (http://cewilson.offroader.com.au/?p=2256)

[Bushie]

Slightly off topic, when I was younger and competing in cross-country skiing events (even competed at inter-varsity, state and national level) and one of the reasons that I drove Range Rover, I would spend about 3 months on snow each year.

On one occasion staying at Smiggin's Hole, a Rolls Royce pulled into the car park with the entire outside of the rear wheel arch mangled just like it had been beaten with a million hammers. The owner had been told that he would need chains to get up the chalet, so he had his mechanic in Sydney fit them. Then he drove all the way down with the loose ends flailing away in both wheel arches. Some people have too much money and too little brain. :mad:

Obviously so do some mechanics :eek::eek:

Used to regularly see cars heading back though Jindabyne towards Sydney with chains still on.

Martyn

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Obviously so do some mechanics :eek::eek:
Used to regularly see cars heading back though Jindabyne towards Sydney with chains still on.
MartynMaybe, but I can also imagine a conversation between the Rolls owner and his mechanic, with the mechanic losing the argument or giving up in frustration and fitting the chains as requested.

[Xtreme]

Snow chains needed to get here last Sunday 12th June at 1630hrs - Mt Pinnibar (1772m) in Disco II with 18psi tyre pressures and no centre diff lock.
Been there numerous times before but never with snow like this - absolutely magnificient and a little 'picadilly' at -7C.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/06/488.jpg

[cookiesa]

I notice you have chains on the front. Is the Disco II different to DI as the manual says to fit to the rear only on the DI

[Xtreme]

I notice you have chains on the front. Is the Disco II different to DI as the manual says to fit to the rear only on the DI

No different AFAIK - but I like to maintain my directional ability (aka steering) when conditions require the use of chains on a 4WD.

Was unaware of what manual says but have always used them this way (except when I had chains on both front and rear of an 88" and was following the snow cat around Smiggins and Perisher back in the late '60's) without a problem.

Of course, retensioned/adjusted after 100m or so, speed kept to a minimum and chains removed as soon as one is clear of the slippery stuff.

[Hymie]

What the manual say and what I would recommend are two different things.
Front Wheels provide 50% of your drive, 70$ of your braking and close as dammit to 100% of your steering.
Where would you want the most traction?
I would put them on the rear only if I was going to be climbing straight up a hill, where most of the load is on the rear.....

Just my 2 bobs worth.

[101RRS]

How does a D2 without CDL drive on ice any way - with chains on and those wheels having more grip would transfer drive to the rear.

Garry

[Xtreme]

How does a D2 without CDL drive on ice any way - with chains on and those wheels having more grip would transfer drive to the rear.

Garry

It was more mud and slush than ice but no problem at all once tyre pressures were lowered and chains fitted.

I think a lot of people use too much right foot and don't give the TC a chance to operate to its optimum. I've seen guys in slippery situations with revs at near maximum and wheels spinning madly ................. but lacking forward motion. TC needs to sense a difference in rotation before it decides to operate and when everything is spinning madly, there is very little, if any, ratational difference to detect. I suggest that they need to 'back off' to go faster, but unfortunately, they usually don't understand the logic. Just my 2c worth on the subject of TC.

I also had the option of crawling under and locking the centre diff, but I was muddy and cold enough after fitting the chains so kept the locking of the centre diff as a last reserve if conditions got worse - always good IMHO to have something up your sleeve, besides mud. :D

[Hymie]

I wouldn't drop pressures with chains on. You want to get down and into the more solid stuff, not float over it.

[cookiesa]

x2 above.

I always would have gone front and CDL engaged (obviously easiert on a d1 than some d2's), until I read the manual lol... If you can't engage cdl due to the traction level then the chains wouldn't be necessary anyway (other than a patch of black ice... but theres always an exception! lol)

[Xtreme]

I wouldn't drop pressures with chains on. You want to get down and into the more solid stuff, not float over it.

Point accepted.

However, I had already dropped the pressures to extract myself from where I ended up so that I could get to a position where I could fit the chains. And once the pressures were down, I had no ready means to reinflate, as my compressor is permanently mounted in my Defender which I usually use for this type of trip but alas was back at home.

Anyway, in this particular case, the larger footprint certainly helped in the mud - especially on the rear axle. We were still 4kms and 500m from the summit when the extra traction aids were employed and I'm not one that likes to turn back, unless absolutely necessary. ;)