Russia is a country with a pronounced change of seasons, which, of course, affects driving in general and car tires in particular. In anticipation winter season we will tell you when it is time to change the tires, what kind of fine threatens those who like to drive on tires out of season, and what prevents us from complying with the law?
○ Why don't car enthusiasts change tires?
Russians are known for their desire to drive fast, but not always safe. One of these risks is associated with the use of tires out of season. This happens for various reasons. Some are forced to save money by the crisis, others do not want to stand in the seasonal queues of tire shops, others simply do not plan to install a new set, being ready to throw away the old one.
Whatever reasons prompted you to leave tires out of season, there can be only one plus, and that is very conditional - savings on tire services. There will be many more cons, including material ones.
First and most main disadvantage out-of-season tires - a decrease in the controllability of the car, and thus the safety of the driver and passengers. At the first spring sun, the already soft winter tires begin to warm up from the warm asphalt. The rubber becomes viscous, and the controllability of the car decreases, with sudden braking, the car will easily be dragged forward, the consequences can be very unpleasant.
Harder summer tires in winter give reduced traction and the car simply “wears” on the road, which in itself is not safe.
The second problem is increased wear. GOST minimum tread height set passenger car at 1.6 mm, but you should not fall short of this, buying a new kit already at 2 mm. Using tires out of season will bring the purchase costs closer.
With proper use, a set of rubber will last up to three years, but if you do not change it, the wear rate will increase by an average of three times. Studded tires serve well in the cold season, but with the establishment of heat and complete cleaning of asphalt from ice, the studs simply fly out of it, forcing you to buy a new set for the next season. In addition, on a summer road, studs lengthen braking distances creating the risk of an accident. But even non-studded winter tires, warmed up by the summer sun from their softness, wear out three times faster.
The reasons why you shouldn't skimp on a tire change are clear, so when is the right time to get it done?
○ Terms of transition to winter and summer tires.
Let's start with the fact that at the moment in Russia there is no full-fledged law that has come into force that obliges to change tires as such, or establishes the timing of such a replacement. In the US and Finland, shift dates are rigidly set. If the inspector notices the car “shod out of season”, the driver will be fined.
In Russia, there is a technical regulation on the safety of wheeled vehicles, which prohibits the use of:
- Studded winter tires in June, July and August.
- Summer tires on any wheel vehicle in December, January and February.
Of course, these are not exhaustive rules and it is necessary to focus on the climatic conditions of a particular region. Experts advise to install summer tires not earlier than the temperature is above +5 С / +7 С Before that, night frosts may occur, after which morning frost on the roads is possible. Usually this is March 10 - 15, but in the Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory on March 1, spring is in full swing, and in the Magadan Region they will hear about it only by April. This is one of the reasons why the Vehicle Safety Law governing tire replacement is still not fully in place, regional specifics need to be taken into account. At the moment, it spells out a ban on the use of winter studded tires from May 1 to September 30, and summer tires from December 1 to March 1. Winter non-studded tires can be left for the whole year.
As for winter tires, experts do not recommend delaying the change by more than November 15th. According to statistics, by this time in most regions of the country there is already a high probability of precipitation in the form of snow or ice.
The law does not prohibit all-weather tires, but when using it, it is important to take into account the climatic factor, at too low temperatures it will not be sufficiently stable, and in too hot summer it will become too soft. In addition, it must be marked "M+S", "M&S" or "M S"
○ Penalty for driving with winter tires in summer.
Code of Administrative Offenses does not contain an article indicating the fine for using winter tires in summer, but the possibility of its introduction is already being discussed. The most likely fine at the moment is 500 r. But even in the future, only the use of studded tires will be liable.
But even now the traffic police inspector has the right to draw up a protocol, having found increased tread wear on your car or winter and summer tires on one axis.
Looking ahead, we’ll immediately make a reservation, riding in winter on summer tires, as well as in the summer on the winter for 2020 is prohibited. But this ban is not valid from November 1, 2020, but from December to February inclusive. But let's talk about everything in order! So, in winter on summer tires: what is the fine for this today, what are the conditions, requirements and subtleties of the auto law on summer tires in winter?
Can you drive with summer tires in winter?
No, it's not allowed. Such a ban is regulated by the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union in its paragraph 5.5 in its "requirements for vehicles in operation" (Appendix 8 of the regulation). At the same time, this normative act clearly regulates the winter months and summer months. The former include December, January and February, the latter - June, July and August.
At the same time, these months may differ if any region of Russia sets its own rules, which is quite logical; and only in the direction of increase, which ... is completely illogical. Indeed, in the same Krasnodar Territory, winter tires may not be required at all. But alas, such is the law!
5.5. It is forbidden to operate vehicles equipped with tires with anti-skid spikes during the summer period (June, July, August).
It is forbidden to operate vehicles that are not equipped with winter tires that meet the requirements of paragraph 5.6.3 of this annex, in winter (December, January, February). Winter tires are installed on all wheels of the vehicle.
The terms of the prohibition of operation can be changed upwards by regional authorities state administration of the states - members of the Customs Union.
Thus, in winter it is forbidden to drive on summer tires - in December, January and February (the dates may change regions). It is not necessary to change to winter tires from 1 October and 1 November.
Where can I find out about the increase in the ban in my city?
Alas, there is no way to answer this question unambiguously. For 2020, not a single region or city has yet changed the provisions of the Technical Regulations regarding summer tires in winter.
In recent years, there have been regular talks and rumors that a fine will soon be introduced in Russia for the use of winter tires in the summer, and summer tires in the winter. Even the exact dates were called, and sometimes even the exact amount of 2,000 rubles fine for summer tires on a winter road was called. First of all, we want to reassure all drivers at once - these fines for off-season tires were not introduced in 2020, and bill N 464241-6 “On Amendments to the Code Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses (On Ensuring Safety in the Operation of Vehicles)”, which spelled out fines for using summer tires in winter, was not adopted in the first reading.
But for what kind of rubber can a car owner be fined if his vehicle moves in winter summer tires ah, and in the summer on the winter ones? How to behave in a dialogue with the traffic police inspector of car wheels?
Nevertheless, vehicle owners need to know the intricacies of the issue of regulating the legality of using one or another type of car tires in summer and winter periods, since it is possible that the next bill will soon be approved by the State Duma and penalties will be introduced. In this article, we will examine the problem in detail.
Are there penalties for tires out of season?
Back in 2014, draft law No. 464241-6 was submitted to the State Duma of the country, which proposed to supplement article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation with part 3.2:
"Part 3.2 of the following content:" 3.2 Driving a vehicle in violation of the requirements for the operation of tires and wheels - entails the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of two thousand rubles.
For two years, the consideration of this bill was postponed, but on October 20, 2016 it was sent for consideration to the State Duma and had to be considered in three readings. But in fact bill on fines for using summer tires in winter did not even pass the first reading, and on November 1, 2016, it was decided to postpone its consideration indefinitely, and as of 2020, the "tire bill" was no longer considered.
So what is the fine for summer tires in winter today?
The issue of changing winter and summer tires in Russia today is NOT regulated by anything, and drivers do not need to be afraid of fines for using summer tires in winter, or sanctions for another version of tires that are not suitable for the season - simply because there are no such fines! Car owners, at their own discretion, decide to replace summer tires with winter ones, based on weather conditions and air temperature. If we talk about specific dates, then in central Russia, the unspoken landmarks are November 15 for changing tires from summer to winter, and March 15 - for switching from winter tires to summer tires.
Of course, these dates are rather conditional, and they differ in certain regions of the Russian Federation. Drivers, relying on common sense, when changing tires, do not focus on dates, but on weather conditions. That is, if the calendar is already spring, and there is still snow on the roads and the forecast promises sleet, then no one will “change shoes” into summer tires . And if in the warm Crimea or in Sochi in November, and sometimes even in December, there is sunny, warm weather, and pavement dry and clean, then drivers are unlikely to switch to winter tires urgently.
What penalties for summer tires in winter were offered?
As we said above, rumors that in the near future it will be forbidden at the legislative level to “shoe” a vehicle out of season have been circulating for a long time, and several bills were submitted to the State Duma for consideration, but for various reasons, none passed. even the first reading. The essence of these tire bills was as follows:
- Penalize for driving a vehicle using tires out of season (the driver must, or “change the car’s shoes”, taking into account the average daily temperature.
- Fine for the fact that the driver in the summer operates the vehicle on winter tires with spikes.
- Refusal in the event that during an accident the vehicle of the culprit was on tires out of season.
But, as we see, so far all these legislative initiatives have not gone beyond bills, and you still decide when you change tires from summer to winter and vice versa! There is no fine for summer tires in winter in Russia!
Is there a penalty for winter tires in summer?
If you study the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union TR TS 018/2011 "On the safety of wheeled vehicles", it turns out that for Russian motorists it brought new rules. In this technical regulation, in paragraph 5.5 of Appendix No. 8, there are such provisions on the use of certain car tires at different times of the year:
- You can drive on summer tires from June to August (it must be studless).
- From December to February, drivers can take part in road traffic while driving a car, "shod" in winter tires (studded or not).
- In the regulation of the TC 018/2011 you will not find the concept of "all-weather tires".
- Compliance with the norms for limiting wear of rubber is a must.
At the level of regional authorities, it is allowed to change the months of the established ban on the use of tires for the season - these nuances must be recorded by regulatory regional acts.
If we talk about whether there is a fine for winter tires in summer, then for a long time this issue has remained unresolved. At the first stage of discussions, there were proposals for such violations to set a fine of 5,000 rubles - but such an initiative was not approved by the deputies. There were other proposals regarding the size of the fine for driving in the summer on winter tires.
In fact, in 2020 there is a fine for driving in the summer on winter tires only indirectly under part 1 of article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, that is, if you left in the summer with a strong worn tread("bald" tires), the depth of which is less than 4 mm, then fine for "bald tires" will be 500 rubles(or a warning).
What are the fines for driving on bald tires in 2020?
In the driver's environment, the expression "bald tires" has long been around, meaning driving on rubber, where the tread has worn off almost completely. According to the new rules, driving on tires with a worn tread can lead to punishment in the form of a fine of 500 rubles (or a warning). If we turn to the SDA and its regulation on the approval of the vehicle for operation, then the driver is prohibited from taking part in traffic if the residual height of the tire tread pattern of his vehicle:
- freight transport– less than 1 mm;
- passenger car - less than 1.6 mm;
- moped or motorcycle - less than 0.8 mm;
- bus - less than 2 mm.
According to Art. 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, traffic police officers can issue a fine to the driver for this violation - 500 rubles.
According to rumors, the deputies plan to increase the amount of the fine for driving on bald tires by 4 times at the legislative level in the future. Such a jump can be considered quite reasonable, since due to the fault of drivers driving onto the road on bald tires, a huge number of accidents occur, especially in the winter months, when there is ice on the roads.
Will there be a ban on studded tires?
We talked about the requirements for vehicle tires in different seasons of the year, and now we will consider the question of what changes regarding the use of studded tires are planned at the legislative level.
For countries that are members of the Customs Union, the technical regulation TR CU 018/2011, which we spoke about above, establishes the following conditions:
- Studded tires must not be used during the summer period - from June to August;
- Rubber with studded tread must be on all wheels of the vehicle (that is, you cannot have both studded tires and non-studded winter Velcro at the same time;
- The maximum number of spikes is prescribed per linear meter of the tread - 60 pieces. This requirement will apply to tires manufactured after January 1, 2016.
If we talk about potential penalties for using studded rubber today, then they are not established at the legislative level! Therefore, drivers of countries that are members of the Customs Union should not be afraid of penalties yet. But the fine for driving a car on studded tires, while you do not have a “Spikes” sign, is 500 rubles.
Riding on all-season tires (Velcro) in 2020
It is worth mentioning separately all season tires, it is quite comfortable to drive a car in winter and summer. Actually, such non-studded all-weather tires are designed for road use throughout the year.
Please note that such tires can only be used in winter if they have signs in the form of markings “M + S”, “M & S” or “MS” (which means “Mud & Snow”, that is, in English “mud and snow” ) and although otherwise the exploitation all season tires in the winter months it is not allowed, there is still no penalty for this.
How can traffic police officers fine for tires?
Above, we have already outlined the situation regarding the legislative framework for seasonal tire changes and fines for using tires out of season. A logical question arises, how directly on the road will the traffic police officers monitor the implementation of the above standards by drivers?
Today there is only one possible way establishing compliance with the seasonality of tires is the passage of a technical inspection. But even here it was not without problems. For example, new cars that have just left the dealership may not pass inspection. Yes, and with cars in operation, too, not everything is clear - the duties of their owners include passing MOT only once a year, which means that the compliance of tires with the season will be checked only once a year.
Summing up, I would like to note - despite the fact that fines for tires out of season in 2020 are NOT introduced, each car owner must take a responsible approach to the issue of readiness of his vehicle for the current road conditions! It is in your interests to prepare the car as much as possible for certain weather and climatic conditions!
As soon as the temperature outside changes from minus to plus, the first thoughts arise about changing tires. Someone changes tires for summer earlier, someone later, when the snow and ice completely melt. When is it necessary change winter tires to summer tires in 2017?
When to change tires for summer according to the law in 2017
According to Technical regulations Customs Union "On the safety of wheeled vehicles", l ( June July August) Do not operate vehicles with studded tires. Note that with studded . That is, if winter tires are without studs, it is not forbidden to ride it in the summer.As we can see, formally, according to the law, even studded tires can be driven until June 1.
When to change tires for summer in 2017
Of course, no one will name the exact date, since there is no year for the year. However, for central Russia there is a date before which it definitely does not follow change winter tires to summer- this is March 15th. As for 2017 specifically, for now, weather forecasters promise sub-zero temperatures both day and night until at least March 20.
How to understand When is the best time to change tires to summer tires??
Several prerequisites must be met:
- roads must be completely free of snow and ice
- the air temperature around the clock should be above zero degrees
- the weather forecast for the next couple of weeks should not promise a drop in temperature
Therefore, in the current weather conditions, it is better to wait until at least the beginning of April, and if all these conditions are met, it will be possible to safely change tires to summer tires.
Changing tires regularly is the responsibility of any responsible driver. Annually road services remind car owners that it is better to change the tires on your car in advance - in order to avoid queues, weather force majeure and accidents. Until 2015, this procedure remained voluntary - the benefit of the owners of the cars did not seek to neglect it. But for two years now, seasonal tire replacement has been regulated by road legislation - now inspectors are fined violators for the discrepancy between tires for the season.
They punish not only for driving on summer tires on ice and snow - there is also a fine for studded tires in summer. This often comes as a surprise to novice drivers. However, studded tires are a hazard on the road during the warm dry season.
Why winter tires are not suitable for summer driving, and what sanctions are provided for by the rules?
Tires for snow covered road are arranged quite differently than standard summer ones - they are much softer in structure. When used during the summer months, they, first of all, are subject to rapid wear - they rapidly wear out from contact with dry asphalt, overheat when braking, melt and, as a result, increase the braking time of the car. The fine for winter tires is due precisely to the fact that such tires are dangerous both for the car on which they are installed - and for other drivers moving in the general stream.
This year, the size of the monetary penalty is only 500 rubles - and if the inspector stops the driver with wrong tires again, the amount of the fine will not increase. However, this is not a reason to neglect the seasonal replacement - although the fine for studded tires in 2017 is small, it is better to follow the rules and be responsible for the safety of your car.
How exactly does the legislation define the summer and winter seasons?
Everything is simple here - calendar winter and summer are taken as a starting point. It is forbidden to drive on ordinary "bare" tires for three winter months, on winter ones - from June to August inclusive. Spring and autumn do not belong to any of the categories - for example, in May a fine for winter tires 2017 cannot be imposed, and in November the inspector will not yet be able to punish for summer tires.
However, it must be remembered that individual Russian regions can independently adjust this rule. For example, in the southern regions, the use of spiked tires may not be justified at all - due to the lack of snow and ice. Accordingly, before traveling to warmer climes, winter tires in spring or autumn, it is better to clarify what standards apply in the region.