Today, there is a requirement to have winter tires from December 1 to March 31. But now the government wants to tighten the rules.
Two different options have been sent out on referral. The first is that the date limit for winter tires for passenger cars is abolished and that requirements for winter tires must prevail at winter roads – regardless of the time of year.
The second option is that the date period is extended until November 1 to April 15.
– Everyone who travels on the roads has a responsibility to use tires that are adapted to the road. The legislation that exists today is too narrow and the time when there is a requirement for winter tires is too short, says Infrastructure and Housing Minister Andreas Carlson (KD) in a press release.
Skeptical: “road safety risk”
The consumer and motoring organization M Sweden, which is one of the referral bodies, has previously conducted a survey that shows that its members do not see very much need to change the current regulations.
Carl-Erik Stjernvall, technical expert and sustainability manager at M Sweden, fears that a abandoned date limit can cause some concerns. He believes that it can be practically difficult to comply with the requirements.
– If you remove the dates, it is up to everyone to have a very big look at when it is winter road teams or not, and that you have to change tires immediately if there is to become winter roads, he says.
One consequence may therefore be that many people choose to drive with winter tires unnecessarily long.
– It is rather a road safety risk in the other direction, since a winter tire often has worse properties when there is no snow and ice.
Claims for snow chains for trucks
Both alternatives also include requirements for heavy vehicles to entail snow chains during the period November 1 to April 15.
– We think that is only positive. I think many motorists unfortunately have become accustomed to the fact that there are many times trucks that make it cork again. If you have been too late out preparing for poor road conditions in the winter, it is often trucks that get stuck.
The new rules are proposed to come into force in November this year.