Is below the limit for the tread depth of the tires • Can lead to serious accidents
Many trucks on Swedish roads still drive around on bad tyres.
This is according to a new survey that TV4 Nyheterna has seen, and according to the traffic police, the tires are just one of several defects that risk causing accidents.
– Then it doesn’t matter if you have brand new tires with a tread depth of eight millimeters, says coordinator Anders Schääf.
In the port area of Gothenburg, flying inspection of heavy traffic takes place. Just as in the case of passenger cars, according to the police, too many truck drivers are careless when it comes to tyres, for example. Some tires that get stuck in the inspection do not even need to be measured without seeing that the tread depth is well below the limit of 1.6 millimeters.
– You should have better tires, especially now. Snow and slips will come, you should be a little more prepared, says Stefan Karlsson, car inspector at the police in the west.
The trucks’ tire status came into focus after the chaos on the E22 in Skåne in January, and last week there were new queues on the same road in connection with the snow storm.
The tire manufacturer Euromaster did random checks on almost 90 trucks and trailers across the country this October. In the survey, 24 percent were judged to have such bad tires that they were dangerous to traffic and 17 percent were judged to have a medium risk.
Improper loading may be the culprit
In Gothenburg, the traffic police nevertheless see a certain improvement in general and point out that wrong loading can sometimes be the culprit.
– If the load is loaded in such a way that you don’t get that pressure on the drive axles, then you will be stationary because of that, and then it doesn’t matter if you have brand new tires with a tread depth of eight millimeters, says Anders Schääf, coordinator of the traffic section at the police in the west.
When TV4 Nyheterna visited the traffic inspectorate, a driving ban for bad brakes and a fine for worn tires were handed out, among other things. A driver who tried to drive away without hooking up his trailer, however, gets away without penalty.
– Sometimes when you work you make mistakes. This was a big mistake, says truck driver Costin Maholea.
Facts: Rules for winter tires
It is forbidden to drive with studded tires between April 15 and October 1 — unless it is winter road conditions.
You must drive with winter tires (studded or friction tires) between December 1 and March 31 if there are winter road conditions.
Winter road conditions mean that there is snow, ice, slush or frost on any part of the road or on the road surface.
You may drive with studded tires from 1 October to 15 April.
You can drive with friction tires all year round, but it is not recommended.
Studded tires may be prohibited on certain streets or stretches of road.