Don't forget about winter tires, Latvian road authority says

As the air temperature drops at night and changing weather conditions set in, State JSC "Latvian State Roads" (LVC) urges drivers to equip their cars with winter tires in good time.

Although the weather forecast for the next few days still promises relatively warm weather, at night the air temperature may already drop to zero or below in some places and roads may ice over in the mornings, LVC said.

Summer tires are designed for use at temperatures of 5 degrees or higher, LVC reminded, explaining that in colder weather, the rubber of summer tires becomes harder and can no longer fully grip the road. 

LVC reminds the public that as of this year, additional requirements for the marking of winter tires on vehicles apply from December 1 to March 1: the wheels of cars and vans with a maximum gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes must be fitted with winter tires specially designed for use in snow or ice conditions and marked "mountain and snowflake". 

The international designation 'mountain and snowflake' indicates that the tire has undergone certain tests and has been found suitable for use in snow and ice.  The legislation also requires a minimum tread depth of 4 millimeters for winter tires for passenger cars. This must be the case in the spring when winter tires are removed, not when they are fitted in the autumn.

Studded tires are allowed in traffic from October 1 to May 1. 

 

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