Have just read about this subject and have the following
to post here
In the following countrys it is arequirement to carry
snowchains ,from the 15,Nov –
Bosnia,1pair for the drive axel,plus a shovel ,until
15th April.
Austria,cOACHES & VEHICLES over 3.5tn
you also have to have WINTER TYRES
FITTED; this stays in force until the 15th
of March;
Slovinia…Snowchains,and Winter tyres
are also required here, Winter tyres being
required only for the drive axle,
again as for Austria only till 15th March
Bulgaria,1 pair of snowchains is required
FROM ““1Nov until 31March””
YOU will not be allowed in the country
in this period if you are not carrying snowchains.
Finnland, Winter tyres andSnowchains are required
1Dec–28 Feb ,FINES ;are based upon your income,
( it is advisable to carry snowchains and have winter tyres
from Nov onwards as the conditions can some times
warrant the use of them,
Estonia, WINTER tyres are required,1.Dec–28Feb
snowchains are not mentioned as a requirment
but better safe than sorry,
Norway,16Oct–30April for Snowchains and tyres
Italy,IN certain parts of italy winter tyres as well as snowchains
are required,YOU NEED TO CARRY snowchains from
15Oct–15April, Lights on in Day Light,
Germany, WINTER TYRES , are required in the
winter weather months,plus snowchains are
required as and when the appropiate sign or
weather conditions require them,
IF you do not have the correct tyres for the
winter months,20€ also if involved in a situation wher
you are a hinderance to other roadusers ,the fines start
at 40€ and 1 point and can be mauch higher,
Hungary ,Snowchains are here also required in the
winter months with a check on the border to stop
entrey for those without snowchains,
IN the Following cxountrys you must carry SNOWCHAINS
Switzerland,Poland,France,Croatia, no date is given
but Winter months starting Oct iis a safe bet,
A point here in some country you will see a sign
for either 2xsnowchains or 4x snowchains,
this means if you do not have the amount of
chains posted you will have to park up until the
roads are either cleared or passable with one set of chains
this is used mostly in Austria,Switerland,
Hope that the above helps ,if any one has additinal information
please add it on, i have gathered this from a few trucking
places and trust that it is correct,
It is better to carry snowchains and have winter
tyres fitted,before setting off on the trip as any
costs incurred will be much lower than haveing to buy
the items when on the road,
I have a pair of super single chains as new and a few sets of drive axle snow chains in my shed. These are from when I had my own truck and are now for sale cheap. Better than being fined for not carrying them.
what weight do these requirements come in is it on or above 3.5t or any vehicle
its just that i may have landed some regular work to germany in a 3.5t curtainsider thanks guys
carl
You are required by german law to have your vehicle equipped
for the weather conditions, and they have said for WINTER
conditions all ALL vehicles be it CAR; LORRY; COACH;
BIKE; have to use winter tyres and also be totaly prepared
for these conditions, with de-icersin your windowscreen
bottle,shovel ,snow chains , for example,
Most people fit winter tyres OCT/NOV to their vehicles,
also if your vehicle is not equipped for winter and has
the misfortune to be involved in a incedent,then you
will have lots of troublefrom ,police,insurance firms
and also if you have injured any one, the lawyer
who reprsents the injured party,PREVENTION
is cheaper than any cure,
I go to Germany most weeks at the moment and I wouldn’t know what a snow chain was if it jumped up and bit me, let alone how to use them. As for winter tyres, pretty much the same thing to be honest and I’m very sure my truck does not have them. I’ll mention the tyres thing to the boss but as for snow chains, forget it.
Brit Pete, are you sure about winter tyres for wagons in Finland? They are compulsory for cars but I’ve looked at a few wagons recently that have had summer tyres all round. I know it’s not december the first yet but there is quite a bit of snow out this way already. Snow tyres have been compulsory on cars from 1.11 and those travelling up north will have fitted them well before that.
I have snow tyres (the non-studded ones) on my drive axle and am seriously considering studded snow tyres for the steering axle… so I can actually steer I’m pretty sure they’re not compulsory though. Will have to find out!
I can confirm that it is law , and that from the 1.12
you are required to have wintertyres fitted,the make
of the tyre is one which will effect the way the vehicle
handles, as winter tyres are made up of a harder
mixture of rubber to enable a better grip of the
roadsurface, inthe winter weather,and also the tread
is one which copes with winter weatherroad conditions,
Here in germany in the 1970 we used studded tyres but they are
banned now over here , have seen that the finns use them
quite a lot, (We have a customer in HELSINKI who is not far from
the docks in summer it takes 30minutes,IN winter it takes from
60min–90 mins depending on the snow and ice,and yes we had
winter tyres ,
YES here in the parts of germany where the local firms
like the milk collection or fuel deliverys and they are
haveing to use a lot of the secondary roads which
are not so quicly treated for snow by the gritters,
for the farms and the like do use this system,
Yes, asked around again today and was told this was the case.
I spoke to a driver of a… I’m not sure what to call it in English - an artic pulling a second trailer - he said at the moment he had plain winter tyres on the drive axle and studded tyres on the steering axle, and just regular tyres on the trailers.
In the past I had been told (by an owner driver) that winter tyres weren’t compulsory on wagons Anyway, this is my first winter here with a wagon so it’s the first time I’ve had to really look into it properly. At least I I have some time before 1.12 to get sorted. Until then if I need to use the wagon I’ll time my journeys to coincide with appropriate road conditions.
Finnland, Winter tyres andSnowchains are required
1Dec–28 Feb ,FINES ;are based upon your income,
( it is advisable to carry snowchains and have winter tyres
from Nov onwards as the conditions can some times
warrant the use of them,
A little correction, Snowchains are NOT required in finland.
Snowchains? Time to go to bed I was told by an even older hand.
Never fitted one in my life and never carried them either although I had some chains slung on the back of my unit at Cheverall’s but didn’t realise they were bits of chain for show 'till I spread them out one day.
It’s all very well to crack jokes and laugh abot snow chains,but in my experiance it was always near the top of a hill ,or near a service area or your destination when you slid to a halt. in the snow.there is nothing worse than to be lying in your bed and the snow plough going past and burying your truck in snow. You then have to wait until a recovery squad comes along , sometimes many hours later. I would rather spend half an hour fitting chains and reaching safe parking than lying at the roadside.
regards Jamie
M&C Jamie:
It’s all very well to crack jokes and laugh abot snow chains,but in my experiance it was always near the top of a hill ,or near a service area or your destination when you slid to a halt. in the snow.there is nothing worse than to be lying in your bed and the snow plough going past and burying your truck in snow. You then have to wait until a recovery squad comes along , sometimes many hours later. I would rather spend half an hour fitting chains and reaching safe parking than lying at the roadside.
regards Jamie
A Scot lost in the Valley’s
hear hear! always makes me laugh the old “only chains i use are on curtain track round the cab” - dead right what you say about at least being able to move to safe parking (with bar facilities!) or at least out of danger
SORRY :Robbe but snow chains according to the list
I have found do have to be carried ;YES they are rarely used
but it states that they can & are used,Point is though if you are going
to travel in such country where the road conditions are bad than
it does make sense to have them with you,AS the cost of any
problems incurred by not haveing them with you, will be
one that will hit any profit that can be made by the trip.
brit pete:
SORRY :Robbe but snow chains according to the list
I have found do have to be carried ;YES they are rarely used
but it states that they can & are used,Point is though if you are going
to travel in such country where the road conditions are bad than
it does make sense to have them with you,AS the cost of any
problems incurred by not haveing them with you, will be
one that will hit any profit that can be made by the trip.
Yeas snow chains are allowed to be used and are good to have with you, but are not mandatory by law
And a 2 axle tractor is really bad to climb up snowy hills… Every winter there are a lot of them stuck on our highways, both domestic and foreign…
I’m pretty sure they’re not compulsory though. Will have to find out! 
Anyway, this is my first winter here with a wagon so it’s the first time I’ve had to really look into it properly. At least I I have some time before 1.12 to get sorted. Until then if I need to use the wagon I’ll time my journeys to coincide with appropriate road conditions.
