You are correct, chains will stop you faster. In winter driving conditions, you never, ever drive or follow too close to the vehicle in front of you. You need at least 5 times the normal distance and obviously much less speed. I and my fellow firefighters have spent many cold and miserable nights out on the highways and roads trying to save lives because people cannot (or refuse to) remember this.

As for the people who died as mentioned in the link you supplied, they made a number of simple but deadly mistakes that cost them their lives. Not having tire chains is not the cause of their death. They died by not being Equipped to Survive.....period.