When do you switch to winter tyres?

Winter tyres

Winter tyres are used when there are winter road conditions, i.e. when there is either frost, ice, snow or slush on the road or when the temperature drops below +5 degrees. The winter tires are marked with "M+S" (Mud and Snow) and there are two types of winter tires. Winter tires with studs and non-studded winter tires, which are also called friction tires. Studded winter tires provide good grip on both snow and ice, but they wear more on the roads. Non-studded winter tires provide good grip on snow, roads with snow slush but a little worse on ice and wear less on the roads than studded tires.

• Winter tyres are marked with the symbol snowflake or alpine peak (tip of iceberg).
• The minimum permitted tread depth on winter tyres, during the period 1 December - 31 March when winter road conditions prevail, is 3.0 millimetres.

When do you have to use winter tyres?

• The law requires that you use winter tires between 1 December - 31 March if winter road conditions prevail.
• It is forbidden to have studded winter tires between April 16 - September 30 unless there are or are expected winter road conditions.
• There are winter road conditions when there is frost, ice, snow or snow slush (slush) on the road.
• It is the police who assess whether there are winter road conditions.