Winter tires are mandatory from November! Tire repair shops are bursting at the seams

From Wednesday until the end of March, drivers are required to have winter tires on their cars if there is or can be expected to be ice on the roads. In addition, there are dozens of sections throughout the Czech Republic where winter footwear is required by traffic signs, regardless of the current weather.

These days, tire repair shops are overwhelmed with orders for switching from summer to winter tires. “We still have a full month. And we have a lot of other phones that want to order quickly. So we are about half of our regular customers,” said the reception technician of the tire service in Jablonec nad Nisou, Tomáš Sova.

“Even if I don’t drive much, I always wear winter boots,” said one of the interviewed drivers from Liberec. “I’ve already made it. And I think that there is an obligation to drive in this part as well, because it’s marked by a traffic sign,” added another.

Winter gear is mandatory from Wednesday until the end of March where it has either snowed or is likely to snow. In some places, the obligation of winter equipment is mandated by a road sign, regardless of the weather.

“Here it is good to remember that the new tires are roughly eight millimeters. If we are at six millimeters, the braking distance is already extended by 20%. And if we are close to the legal minimum, the braking distance can be up to half as long,” explained the traffic officer expert Roman Budský.

ls, TN.cz