From November 1, motorists will have to equip themselves to be able to travel. And be careful, a specific reference is now requested…
When you buy a car, you don’t always realize the constraints behind it. In addition to the car insurance to be paid and vehicle maintenance to be respected, owners must also have certain equipment. These are legal obligations, like the safety vest or the warning triangle. But there is one that motorists often overlook in winter even though it is essential for road safety. It is also part of the new regulations which will come into force from November 1, 2024 until March 31, 2025.
This affects a good number of French people, since it applies in certain municipalities of 34 departments, located in mountain ranges, namely the Alps, Corsica, the Massif Central, the Jura massif, the Pyrenees and the Vosges massif. . From November, all four-wheel vehicles crossing these territories must now be permanently equipped with 3PMSF “3 Peak Mountain Snow Flake” winter tires only. The latter are recognizable by the mark of the “alpine symbol”, in other words a mountain with 3 peaks and a snowflake. Until now, M+S, M&S or MS tires were allowed, but this is no longer the case this year. Both locals and tourists are affected by this measure.
Otherwise, motorists who have other snow tires can still use them, but in this case, they must also add chains if they want to travel on the roads, we can read on the site of Road Safety. This is the second new feature and it is precisely the equipment that drivers often forget to have on board their vehicle. Snow socks may also work.
Moreover, road safety told us that“to date, tolerance is required” in the event of non-compliance with regulations. The association also emphasizes on its site that “vehicles wearing studded tires are exempt from equipment obligations”. If you want to ride this winter in one of these departments, you know what you have to do!