A new survey from the Danish Tire Industry shows that Danes generally understand that summer tires are useless in winter. But 316,000 drivers still have problems.
A new count of winter tires and summer tires shows that 316,000 drivers in Denmark are driving on summer tires in the middle of the winter period.
The figure was revealed in connection with the annual tire count, which is carried out in week 4 in public parking lots across the country.
The purpose of the tire count is to provide an overview of which tire types are used by motorists. The count is carried out by the Council for Large Tire Safety, the Tire Importers Association and FDM.
The results show that a large proportion of drivers drive with winter tires, while a significant proportion still have summer tires on.
This is stated by the Council for Large Tyre Safety in a press release .
The proportion of cars with all-season tires has increased. And while it may be better than driving around on summer tires in the winter, it still raises concerns among the tire industry.
– The proportion of cars on all-season tires has increased again, which may be due to the fact that recent winters have been on the mild side, says Volker Nitz from the Danish Council for Tire Safety.
However, he points out that there are still periods of winter weather where all-season tires are not sufficient.
– However, there have been exceptions in periods where the weather has briefly challenged both drivers and road crews, bringing everything to a standstill. In these cases, proper winter tires would have been a better solution.
Although all-season tires may be a solution for some drivers, it is recommended to have winter tires on during the winter period.
– All-season tires may be an acceptable solution for many. But you must be prepared to take special transport precautions on days when winter shows its harsh side, says Volker Nitz.
Regional differences in tire counts show that the proportion of winter tires is largest in Jutland, while the proportion of summer tires is highest in Eastern Denmark.
– It is of course unfortunate that things are going that way, and even though winters are generally milder, winter tires are still the best choice, says Volker Nitz.
He emphasizes that winter tires are the safest choice on snow, ice, and cold, wet roads that are common during the winter months.
The fact that Danes have to drive around on 'suitable tires' during the winter period is something completely new in Denmark. Last year, the government otherwise rejected making winter tires a legal requirement. So they have arrived at a compromise that still penalizes drivers.
Summer tires in winter conditions cost a fine of DKK 1,000 per tire. Shortly before the law came into force, a poll showed that 2 out of 3 Danes wanted to make winter tires a legal requirement.
