VAUXHALL has added a winter driving must-have to its comprehensive range of accessories with the highly effective Snow Socks tyre covers to get you out of a slippery situation in snowy and icy conditions.

Less cumbersome than snow chains and more effective than winter tyres on ice and snow, the TÜV-approved covers simply slip over the driving wheels of a vehicle and work by creating friction.

Snow Socks are available from Vauxhall retailers starting at £49.95 for a range of sizes and can be used on all makes and models of vehicles.

Vauxhall, one of the first car retailers to offer the innovative product, believes all motorists should carry Snow Socks to give them every chance of more safely making unavoidable or emergency journeys throughout the unpredictable British winter.

During the heavy snow falls and plummeting temperatures of December and January last winter, insurers paid out £395m to motorists in 268,400 claims, many of which were for accidental damage caused by driving on slippery roads.

The extra grip afforded by Snow Socks could help reduce the risk of accidents caused by lack of traction. Made from a textured fabric that sticks to dry snow and ice, the fibres on the covers are arranged at right angles in the direction of travel to optimise grip on the road.

Sophie Thomas, Vauxhall accessories manager, said: “If we need to make it home from work, get to the train station or pick the kids up from school after a sudden change to icy conditions, Snow