Winter and summer tyres - the legalities

Is it okay/safe to use winter tires on Autobahn this time of year?

I'm going to drive from Stockholm (Sweden) to Stuttgart in about two weeks and stay there for six moths.
Should I use summer tires and then bring a set of winter tires or can I use winter tires for my entire stay?

I dont think there would be any legal issues, but there are a few practical downsides:
- winter tires make more noise
- fuel consumption is higher
- abrasion of the tire profile will be higher
- on hot days (not that we have that many this year) your braking distance might be a little longer
- a german might feel compelled to tell you, you are using the wrong tires

EDIT: it is recommended to change to winter tires at the end of october; I guess it really wouldnt make much sense to take summer tires with you.

I'm hearing today is the day for the change. Is this correct?

Changed mine on Tuesday, given the weather reports. It's already cold enough now in the mornings for winter tyres to make sense.

As has previously been discussed, there's no legal requirement as to dates, and what you should use, more that it is suitable for the conditions.

What that really boils down to is that if it's snowing or there is slush on the road, then you need a tyre with M+S (Matsch und Schnee) on it, whether it's a full winter tyre or an all-year tyre.

Edit: Something I haven't seen mentioned before is that when using winter tyres, you are also required by law to have a sticker in the driver's line of sight stating the maximum speed allowed with the tyres (determined by the letter code on the tyres). I believe this requirement is only if the rated maximum for the tyres is less than the top speed of the car.

Getting close to the winter tire season and I just wanted to see if anyone could clarify something for me. I heard from the guys at the tire shop that All-season tires that have a "M+S" legally count as "Winter Tires", like the above poster also states. Anyone heard anything different?

We have a Subaru with M+S All Season tires that we regulary took up into the snow so I know the tires work good, just want to see if anyone has had any bad experiences with the law or insurance companies. Thanks.

M+S tires are fine for winter driving. You do not have to change but you may have an issue if your tires are judged to be inppropriate for the weather conditions if you have an accident.

Not if "M+S" ("Mud and Snow") is on the tyre wall..

I heard that winter tyres are now a must, could anyone advise if this is correct?

No, see my post of 19th Oct last year (and others' too), it still applies. Your tyres must simply be fit for the prevailing conditions.

Which basically boils down to the fact that if snow appears overnight and you do not have winter tyres on,then you have an accident you are going to have problems with your insurance.The insurance egt you through the gross negligence clause.Mine are on,put them on last weekend, due to the fact we were driving around and we stopped and saw 3 weasels in the field all with white coats.Nature tells you when winter is due

Driving up the A7 yesterday late afternoon from Kassel to Hamburg I was happy to still have my Summer tyres on the car -it was +20C.

Nope, in America, too.

I have them on my 4 wheel drive SUV. I can just let it be then, correct? They have about 10K miles of wear (less than 2 years old). As I understand it, it does not snow much here up north.

Usually not. But I can produce you some photos of Hamburg with deep snow. As for the Schneekatastrophe from 1978...


Exactly. So if you only drive locally and are prepared not to drive car when such conditions exist then ...

Unless they were albino weasels.

I'm thinking about renting a car and driving down to Italy over Christmas

What's the current ruling on whether I need to have winter tyres or not?

It's motorway the whole way so (hopefully) no dodgy roads

I understand that if I have an accident then it doesn't look good but is it actually illegal?

I've read the various posts but still not 100% clear

the law in Germany is that you are required to have the appropriate tyres for the conditions. ie if it snows or is cold/icy enough, then you need them. In Austria, i htink, the law says that either winter tyres or snow chains on the drive axle are required in "winterliche Fahrverhältnisse". I don't believe there is any requirement in Italy.