Sometimes in Austria we are still sitting in the sun at around 20 degrees – and should we talk about winter tires? Yes, because from November 1st the situational winter tire requirement applies. If you don’t feel addressed, just click on the next story.
The law on situational winter tire requirements in Austria applies from November 1st to April 15th of the following year, regardless of the weather. No matter how high the temperatures climb. Hence “situational”. This means that in winter conditions (snow, mud, ice) only vehicles with winter tires are allowed to be on the roads. Nobody demands that you drive with winter tires when the roads are dry. Not even in January, but certainly when the road conditions are wintry. A little slush is enough for this, it doesn’t have to be “deep wintery”. If the winter tire requirement is ignored, severe penalties can result: in extreme cases, during a traffic stop, the executive can impose penalties of up to €10,000. Problems with insurance are also inevitable if a traffic accident occurs in winter driving conditions and the vehicle was not equipped with winter tires in accordance with the law. Which tires? Only tires that have the following markings on them may be used as winter tires: M+S, MS, M&S, M/S or a snowflake symbol. All-season tires also have this marking and are therefore permitted. “These symbols are intended to guarantee that the tires are suitable for special use on winter roads,” says Erich Groiss, technical coordinator at ARBÖ. In individual cases, however, you cannot necessarily rely on this, especially with cheap brands. So it’s better to choose good tires, tire test reports can help. Because a winter tire should not only prevent a report, but also dangerous situations or even accidents. What many people don’t know: Tires with a tread depth of less than four millimeters are generally not considered winter tires! By the way, five millimeters applies to trucks over 3.5 t.
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