AutoSock: Customer feedback

AutoSock are a product that really make a difference every time you use them. Here's some recent feedback:

"Many thanks - Autosock arrived overnight in time for next bout of snow!" - Richard
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"I LIVE IN A VERY REMOTE LOCATION AND BOTH MY CAR AND VAN WOULD NOT CLIMB THE SNOW AND ICE COVERED TRACK..........UNTIL I FITTED SNOW SOCKS ! TOTALLY BRILLIANT THANK YOU." - Keith
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"I've had my AutoSocks a week now and they’ve got me out of trouble 3 times. I live in Nth Northumberland and work in Aberdeen, travelling weekly. Last week’s snow in Edinburgh stranded many motorists overnight, but my AutoSocks got me through without any problem. Last night and this morning, Aberdeen was almost gridlocked, but once again my Auto Socks got me through. Thanks." - Marti
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"Had to go to the butchers for the Christmas turkey. It's down a country lane, so I put on the AutoSocks. Fantastic! No slipping at all, even when going from 0-30mph in a straight line, thanks." - Chris
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Thought others may benefit from my experience, should there be any doubts about purchasing Autosocks. There I was on a steep un-classifed road in deepest Wales, sliding backwards towards the drop off and stream below...imagine the panic. So the car does stop just before the plunge, but how to get out of this very precarious position? Enter the autosocks from the boot. 5 minutes of slipping on the road, struggling to stand up, whilst putting them on was the worst part. Set off, no spin, full grip, effortless. Just like magic. If you don't get some of these for the just in case factor then you will be stuck at the side of the road looking very glum....
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I would just like to say that I purchased a pair of autosocks for my Skoda Fabia in anticipation of the winter to come. Low and behold, today was the day of reckoning! I found myself caught in unexpected snow fall which left the roads barely passable even with 4x4's. I was actually on a steep hill amongst other failing traffic. I lost all traction and decided to fit the 'socks. Fitting was as easy as described and demonstrated by yourselves, so far so good. I proceeded to pull off, no wheel spin just forward movement. I drove for a further 7 miles home in bad conditions in and out of struggling vehicles whose drivers must think Skoda's are the winter car. Whilst stopped, some curious looks were thrown towards my front wheels. I have been driving for over 30 years and can honestly say they are the best motoring purchase I have made. I would recommend them to anyone as an emergency get you home aid, and in my opinion, they should be made compulsory carrying during the winter months. Please forward this mail to whoever you see fit.
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> Click here to see a message sent by a Gleaner Oils tanker driver earlier this winter.

AutoSock videos

Tips for safe fitting, use and removal

Fitting is very easy on most vehicles, more difficult on a few. The most difficult vehicles to fit are – no surprise – rear wheel drive cars with limited clearance. If you can’t get your forearms into the space between the wheel and the wheel arch, fitting will be difficult. But blame the car, not the AutoSock! If they are a very tight fit, too tight, please let us know because there is obviously a size issue that we need to learn about.

FITTING: It could hardly be simpler. Stop the vehicle and apply the handbrake. Fit AutoSock to the driving wheels of the car, starting at the top of the tyre and working downwards. Move the vehicle approximately 1 metre and put the remainder of each 'Sock' into position - see the "movie" sequence above. The AutoSock will automatically self-centre when you start driving. A useful video is shown below.

USE: There's NO need to turn off any electronic traction and stability devices, e.g. ETS, ASR, ESP, DSC. Drive off gently, avoiding wheel spin. Extreme acceleration and braking could damage the product.

REMOVAL: Take AutoSock off the wheels, shake off any snow, and put them back in their storage pouch pending washing or further use.

How to get the best use from your AutoSock snow socks

Here are some notes about what to expect from AutoSock, and some tips about how to get the best use from them:

• First of all, please read the instructions, especially the comment “Avoid spinning the wheels, extreme braking and acceleration, since this could damage the product.”
• The usual rules of driving in snow apply, i.e. pull off slowly, stay in as high a gear as possible, “anticipate” even more than normal, avoid hard braking.
• The speed limit of 30mph / 50kph will seem quite fast enough on snow. It is a maximum speed, not a recommended speed!

How long will they last?

• Fundamentally, the more you drive on clear roads / gritted tarmac, the faster they will wear out and the sooner you will need to buy another set.
• They are a “Get you out of trouble” solution and are not intended for prolonged use. You will probably use them to get down to the gritted road, then you take them off ASAP it is safe to do so.
• From the instructions: “The wear limit is reached as soon as 50% of the white road-contact fabric is worn out and the underlying black safety material has become visible.”
• You will find that small holes start to appear as they become worn. This is no big deal and will not affect their performance until it becomes obvious that they are looking ragged and well worn – then they need replacing. If they are ripped, this is due to snagging on e.g. a loose mudguard, a loose screw on a wheel arch liner, some other third party influence. (If you hear them catching on something, stop and sort it out!)
• There are bands of Kevlar running across the AutoSocks; these provide overall strength, help to prevent the socks from splitting after misuse, and help prevent holes from spreading.
• Overall, use your commonsense about how long to use them, and of course and where possible you should avoid potholes, raised manholes etc.
• Don’t forget to remove your AutoSock at night. You don’t want them freezing to the ground!
• A 'wear and tear' guide pdf is available to view. Click on the thumbnail below.

Fitting them

• Fitting is very easy on most vehicles, more difficult on a few. The most difficult vehicles to fit are – no surprise – rear wheel drive cars with limited clearance. If you can’t get your forearms into the space between the wheel and the wheel arch, fitting will be difficult. But blame the car, not the AutoSock! If they are a very tight fit, too tight, please let us know because there is obviously a size issue that we need to learn about. Click on the tab above for fitting instructions.

Specific driving tips

Some suggestions for situations where AutoSock are not making the difference expected:

• On a rear wheel drive car, uphill slope, sheet ice: You need some weight in the boot – it makes all the difference. Don’t just spin the wheels and trash the AutoSock.
• On a hill in really slushy snow. You may drive forward then slip. The AutoSock are sticking to the snow but there isn’t enough strength in the snow to hold the weight of the vehicle. Roll back down a few feet, compressing the snow and driving out the water. Then try again, moving further up the hill than before. Three steps up, two back.

AutoSock: A snow chain equivalent in France and more

AutoSock 'the product' was developed with close cooperation from car manufacturers and the German TÜV Süd from the beginning. Since 2001, AutoSock has been certified by TÜV Süd as a "winter emergency driving aid", creating a new product category in addition to metal snow chains.

In 2008, AutoSock passed the requirements of the new ÖNorm V5121 and is approved as a snow chain equivalent. AutoSock can be used whenever snow chains must be fitted in Czech Republic, Slovenia and New Zealand.

Since 2010 AutoSock is certified to comply with the French winter equipment regulations and can be used in France where the snowchain sign (B26) is in place. See below. AutoSock are the only snow socks that have been tested and approved to be used in France as an equivalent snow chain product. You will need to make sure you have the correct sticker if you are going to be using AutoSock in France. Please click here for details.

AutoSock may now be used in France as an equivalent snow chain product. Here is an extract from the Gendarmerie web site which those going to France would do well to print out and take with them, just in case the local Gendarmerie questions this change in regulations:

Click here to visit the Gendarmerie website link

Here is an extract. We have moved the "Les chaussettes" section to the top of the list:

Pneus à clous, chaînes...tout ce que vous souhaitez savoir sur les équipements spéciaux avant de prendre la route.

Les chaussettes:

Elles sont autorisées et utilisables en présence du signal B26 si la marque qui les distribue a bien notifié sur l'emballage que leur produit est utilisable en présence de ce panneau. Equipé de chaussettes, un véhicule doit respecter une vitesse limite, fixée par le constructeur, de 50km/h. Afin d'éviter une usure rapide, elles ne doivent pas être utilisées sur sol sec. Ces équipements de substitution ne peuvent, en aucun cas, remplacer des chaînes traditionnelles dans des conditions extrêmes.

Les pneus cloutés ou à crampons:

L'arrêté ministériel des Transports du 18 juillet 1985 stipule que ces dispositifs peuvent être utilisés du samedi précédant le 11 novembre au dernier dimanche de mars de l'année suivante. Si les conditions atmosphériques l'exigent et après avis du directeur départemental de l'Equipement, les préfets peuvent modifier les dates de la période d'utilisation effective prévue ci-dessus.

La vitesse maximum de déplacement est limitée à 90km/h pour les voitures particulières équipées de pneus cloutés ou crampons, mais également pour les transports de marchandises d'un PTAC inférieur ou égal à 3,5 tonnes et pour les transports en commun de personnes.

Les chaînes:

Elles sont autorisées seulement sur les routes enneigées, quelle que soit l'époque. Elles deviennent obligatoires sur les tronçons de route enneigée munis d'un panneau « équipements spéciaux obligatoires » ( signal B26).

Les « pneus contact » ou « pneus neige »:

Leur utilisation n'est pas règlementée. Toutefois, sur les tronçons équipés du signal B26, si la mention « pneus neige admis » n'est pas précisée, le conducteur devra utiliser des chaînes.

Sources: Sirpa Gendarmerie

AutoSock created and developed the "car snow sock" concept, and is the registered holder of all relevant patents. Their main European Patent is EP 1165329 which is operational in all European countries. They have similar patent protection in North America and Japan.

After the last two UK and Irish winters there are unprecedented numbers of copies in these markets; legal activity for patent infringement is either in progress or may be taken against many of these distributors and resellers, some of whom are household names and must have been very badly advised.

Some of the copies and counterfeits are relatively very cheap - as products can be if there are no research and development costs, and if materials and manufacture are of poor quality.

We hope that our potential fleet customers in particular will wish to be confident that the products they use have proper product liability insurance, as AutoSock has.

Some of the distributors of copy products seem to be taking leave of their senses and are making increasingly extravagant claims. These might include

• statements about German and Austrian testing agency approvals (TÜV and ÖNORM). Some do indeed have these approvals; some claim to have them but do not.
• statements about the patents they have registered. This is a "smoke and mirrors" trick, designed to deceive. We usually use a wrist watch as an analogy for this sort of activity: AutoSock has patented the bit of the watch that tells the time, the relevant bit; others have taken out irrelevant patents on e.g. the strap fixings, but they still attach the "patented" word to the whole product.
• Warnings to "Beware of copies!" (Some credit should be given to resellers who have at least attempted to write their own copy instead of lifting it from official AutoSock sites!)
• Warnings to "Beware of Chinese copies," apparently forgetting that their products are themselves made in China. There is nothing wrong with being "Made in China" - what is foolish is to presume that the factories who make and sell this stuff at knockdown prices are authorised to do so.

Recent EU court decisions include:

• An injunction against Siepa and its Austrian and German distributors by the court of Düsseldorf, Germany. The penalty for patent infringement is €200,000 per incident. Siepa brands include Goodyear and Fix&Go.
• An injunction against the Trendy distributor in Norway by the Court of Telemark. Trendy branded products have been withdrawn.
• An injunction against MultiGrip and WeissSock by the court of Düsseldorf. The penalty for patent infringement is €200,000 per incident.

AutoSock snow sock fleet enquiries

Fleet buyers may wish to contact our Business Development Manager on 015396 22413, or e-mail david.cannom@john-jordan.co.uk with the following information:

• Size of fleet
• Likely quantity by tyre size
• Contact details