I like the GD version for when I drive on icy roads, plus, I don't know if this is true for the standard version or not, but the GD ones I had wore like iron, the tread seemed to last forever. Plus the bits of carbide look all cool and sparkly and people always asked me about them <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> "what kind of cool tires are those with the sparkly bits?"

I did notice a difference on ice AND also I actually could tell a difference on wet roads as well.

As for the crash, I was cruisin down a 4 lane streen, one of the main streets in this town, going 45 mph and I was passing through an intersection, this intersection was where this big 4 lane busy street crosses with a tiny little neighborhood street, anyway the neighborhood street has a stop sign and the main street does not have any stop light or sign or anything, know what I mean? So the people on the little neighborhood street are suposed to stop at the sign and wait for an opening. Anyway, here is what happened from the account of a lady who was sitting stopped at the stop sign on the small street: She says she's sitting there stopped waiting for an opening in traffic to turn right, and this lady comes flying up behind her about 50 mph (in a 25 mph zone), doesn't stop behind her at the sign but instead swerves around her and just flies into the intersection. And I was lucky enough to be crossing the intersection when this happened. My brain barely had time to register seeing a car coming out of NOWHERE!!! (because from my point of view, there was a car stopped at the stop sign to my left, then suddenly ANOTHER car comes flying out from behind that car). I didn't even have time to brake or anything, it happened so fast it was amazing.

Anyway it was such a cut and dried case they immediately assigned her the blame and I ended up getting fairly compensated, unfortuntely the snapping motion of the accident injured my neck and upper back and am still dealing with pain and stiffness a year later. It's not that bad though, just sometimes uncomfortable and I have to do stretching exercises and stuff to keep it from tensing up and getting spasms.