Friction Coefficient on Snowy and Icy Surfaces of Pneumatic Tires Fitted with or without Anti-Skid Devices

The dynamic performances respectively of a front- and a rear wheel drive car on icy and snowy surfaces has been assessed. Winter pneumatic tires, new anti-slip wheelsocks, and snow chains were tested. The three accelerations and the three angular velocities at the centre of gravity were measured, together with the angular speeds of all axles. The maximum traction force was also measured. Proper maneuvers to investigate both longitudinal and lateral vehicle dynamic behaviour have been performed and a complete analysis of the collected data is presented. The results confirmed the observation that snow chains allow always the best performances on both icy and snowy surfaces.