Many Danes generally follow traffic laws and regulations well, but a new ban still comes as a surprise.
A new and expensive traffic ban is catching many Danish drivers by surprise. In both Germany and Sweden, new legal requirements for winter tires have been introduced, which could have major consequences for the many Danes who drive abroad by car.
The ban on certain types of winter tires is already in effect, and it is therefore important that drivers thoroughly familiarize themselves with the new rules before crossing the border.
In Germany, it is now a requirement that winter or all-season tires be marked with the mountain and snowflake symbol, also known as 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake), when winter conditions are present. This applies regardless of the age of the tires.
In Sweden, the rules are slightly different. Here, winter tires or all-season tires must have a tread depth of at least 3 millimeters during the period from December 1 to March 30, when there is winter weather.
However, from December 1, 2024, the tires must also be marked with the mountain and snowflake symbol or be studded tires.
Tires that are only marked with M+S (Mud & Snow) no longer meet the requirements in the two countries. This means that many Danish drivers who previously had cards with M+S tires will now need to get new tires to comply with the legislation.
– Although we in Denmark are used to there being no specific statutory requirements for winter tires, in both Sweden and Germany you must now have tires with the mountain and snowflake logo if there is winter weather.
– And it is the driver's own responsibility to keep track of the applicable rules, says Jesper Valentin Lund, concept manager at AutoPartner.
He emphasizes that it is important to stay up to date with the rules, as they can change from year to year.
– In general, Danes are good at familiarizing themselves with the rules. But if you are going to a destination where you have maps for the past, you can easily forget to check for updates. Therefore, many people risk being surprised because they thought they had the rules under control.
In addition to meeting legal requirements, it is also important to ensure that the tires are effective in winter conditions.
– For a winter tire to be effective in slippery conditions, we recommend that the tire tread does not fall below four millimeters.
– For safety reasons, this should never happen, regardless of what the individual country's legislation says. In addition, you should make sure that you know the rules, including any new updates, in the countries you will be driving in, says Jesper Valentin Lund.
Boosted has previously written about the cost of being caught with the now banned winter tires in Germany. The police in Germany have been enforcing the new rules since October 1st of this year. And it's an expensive pleasure. Read more about it here .
