A traction and braking test performed by Pewag Austria demonstrates vividly how important tire chains are when snow and ice cover the roadways. New snow tire technology has improved the performance of snow tires dramatically, however, when it comes to maximum safety nothing comes close to good tire chains.

Traction & Climbing ability

conditions: hard packed snow, -5C / 23 F, slope 22 degrees up, distances in meters.

A - Tire chains on all four wheels B - Chains on one axle C - Studded snow tires D - Snow tires

Driving uphill on hard packed snow can be quite a challenge. With good snow tires you'll get up 27 meters (88 ft) before spinning tires make you wish you had tire chains mounted. Studded snow tires will get you 2 meters farther - not much (95 ft total). When you combine good snow tires with one pair of tire chains you'll reach the 32.5 meters mark (106 ft). A truly dramatic increase in traction occurs with two pairs of tire chains : 60 meters (197 ft) - almost twice as far as with one pair of chains.

So, if you want peak performance and maximum safety from your 4WD - you need to mount two pairs of tire chains.
Check here if you have only one pair.

Braking & Stopping distance

conditions: hard packed snow,- 5 C / 23 F, speed 25 km/h / 15 mph, distances in meters.

A - Chains on all four wheels B - Chains on one axle C - Studded snow tires D - Snow tires

For maximum braking and shortest stopping distances - in this test 5.5 meters (18 ft) - tire chains are mandatory on all four wheels (A). With tire chains on only one axle the stopping distance is almost twice as long - 9.0 meters (30 ft) - (B). Snow tires, studded or not, need much too long (12 meters or 40 feet) to get a vehicle stopped (C+D).

The braking test shows an identical result: If you want maximum safety from your 4WD - you need to mount two pairs of tire chains.
Check here if you have only one pair.

A = Snow tires plus tire chains on all four wheels

B = Snow tires plus tire chains on one axle

C = Studded snow tires

D = Snow tires