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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, NOVEMBER 22, 1985
FROM FLEET ADMINISTRATION
Are Snow Tires Necessary? Over the past few years, vehicles have taken
on many changes.
These changes may affect which vehicles actually
require snow tires.
With today's new ly engineered vehicles and the advancements made in
tire design, most motorists and automobile manufacturers contend that
snow tires are not necessary during the winter months in most states if
the vehicle is equipped with radial tires.
Many companies are convinced that the benefits aren't enough to warrant
the extra cost of the snow tires. This theory applies most often to
front-wheel drive vehicles. According to a General Motors engineer in
charge of tire and wheel systems, the combination of engine, transmis
sion and drive-axle weight will provide the added traction needed when
driving in snow.
The National Safety Council test results, however, indicate that there
are definite advantages to snow tires. The tread design of snow tires
provides better traction and braking on loosely packed snow and on
slippety, glare ice than that of regular radial tires. Regular radial
tires, however, do provide more improved braking performance than snow
tires on wet roads.
Most tire companies offer "all-weather" tires as an alternative to snow
tires. These all-season tires offer features of both snow and regular
radial tires.
Automobile manufacturers now provide these tires as
standard equipment on many vehicles.
One must consider state or local ordinances that may regulate winter
requirements in your operating area. I n many cases all-weather tires
are now acceptable under these requirements.
Please use your own
judgment.
--Dean May, Fleet Administration
ON THE WORLD SCENE
THE SUMMIT & EUROPEAN DEFENSE: TAXES UP: NORTHERN IRELAND:
TV=TELEVISED VIOLENCE: A POLITICAL GLOSSARY
European Wariness at Geneva
This week the much-ballyhooed two-day
summit in Geneva between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Party
boss Mikhail Gorbachev finally took place. What was to be agreed upon
in Geneva had already been pretty much determined beforehand: the
summit itself became largely an exercise in personal sizing-up between
the two leaders as well as an attempt by both sides to score valuable
public relations points in the world media.
Not as well reported by the journalists was the reaction by Europeans
to the high-powered talks held right in the heart of the continent.
But as one astute observer CLOS ANGELES TIMES' Don Cook) noted: "The
role of the
;
Europeans has been like that of tennis spectators--watching
volleys from left and right in the first set of what is going to be a