Germany to tighten winter tyre rules

For the past five years, since a change in Germany’s road rules set out that vehicles must be suitably equipped for the conditions they drive in, the fitment of M+S marked tyres has sufficed to meet this requirement when it snows or if roads are covered in ice. From 2018, this will no longer be the case.

The BVS, the German association of publicly appointed and sworn experts, shares that a change of regulations is planned at a national level; in addition to the now-obligatory M+S symbol, tyres used in snow and ice conditions from 2018 will also be need to be marked with the Three-Peak-Mountain-Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol. This rule will apply without exception to tyres manufactured from January 2018 onwards; tyres produced before then will be exempt during a transitional period that will last until 30 September 2024 at the latest.

The current requirement to drive on winter tyres (or all-season tyres bearing the correct marking) in conditions where they represent a safer option than summer tyres, regardless of season, will remain the rule.