Mud and snow tyres now mandatory on drive axles in Germany

UK and Ireland-based operators travelling to or through Germany are now required to have M+S tyres fitted to drive axles during snowy and icy conditions following a revision to the existing law in the European country.

• New regulation in Germany requires operators to fit mud and snow (M+S) tyres to drive axles in wintry conditions
• Winter tyres, like Continental's Scandinavia, range essential for road safety when there is snow, ice and frost on the road
• Entire Scandinavia range conforms to new stricter regulation; bears M+S marking on sidewall

The new regulation, which came into effect on 4 December 2010, stipulates that all buses with more than eight seats and all commercial vehicles over 3.5-tonnes be fitted with M+S tyres when roads are covered with ice, hard-packed snow and slush. Continental's existing winter range of tyres, called Scandinavia, all bear the M+S marking on the sidewall.

For trucks, the HDW 2 tyre provides the operator with maximum grip and control on slippery road surfaces especially when used with Scandinavia tyres for steer and trailer axles. The HSW 2 Coach is an all-round winter tyre for the coach market and features numerous sipes that delivers better traction versus summer tyres in the snow or on icy roads.

Dr Hans-Joachim Nikolin, head of Commercial Vehicle Tyres division at Continental, said: “Operators will benefit from the fact that German legislators have defined more clearly which tyres are suitable for winter and when they should be used. Following our extensive series of tests, we would recommend fitting special winter tyres like Scandinavia on all axles depending on the load and truck assignment. As early as 40km/h (25mph), these tyres reduce the braking distance on icy surfaces by almost the length of a truck.”

Jill Rodgers, Marketing Manager Commercial Products at Continental UK, said: “Legislation on winter tyres varies widely across Europe and it is essential that operators check what the requirements are before undertaking their journey. This can be done using Continental's online Winter Tyre Guide, which provides the latest information on current tyre legislation in the EU”.

Continental's winter tyre guide can be downloaded at www.conti-online.co.uk/truck