Winter driving
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yes that's about right, it's fair enough of course, they don't want to make it illegal for people from the UK or Holland etc etc to enter the country but they want people to be equipped. In practice, if it's snowing and the road is partly or completely snow covered then you'll be fine with chains on. Your real worry is no chains, no winter tyres and a snow covered road, that's where you'll be in bother.
For the people going in holiday the message is pretty simple, you must have either winter tires or chains if there's snow on the road as you'd expect. Being informed you just take your own decision, you might choose not to be equipped at all but you're not going to be allowed on some routes.
My own advice, after 12 years living in alpine countries and a few years before that driving in the alps, is that you really need chains and winter tires only if you can. If you're planning to drive around while you're in the Alps and try different stations then I'd advise winter tires if you can get them on the hire car as it's easier. But I see people visiting around here managing perfectly well with ordinary tires and chains. Again, from experience with 4WD drive and winter tires I do need chains from time to time so to me that's the most important thing.
It's up to the individual, you take your own choice based on what you know.
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Started by Ise in Ski Chatter 17-Dec-2008 - 43 Replies
Jan I Stenmark
reply to 'Winter driving' posted Dec-2008
Pointlessly rude and worse, actively confusing to those trying to distinguish fact from ill-informed ramblings.
Ise
reply to 'Winter driving' posted Dec-2008
What I actually wrote was :
The law, straight from the Austrian government is this :
so there's no requirement to have winter tires at all for general usage, if you're on a snow covered road you're required to have snow chains or winter tires which I think everyone was fully aware of.
nevertheless seasons greetings !
No country on mainland Europe requires you to have chains or winter tyres but individual routes can be closed to people without them, that's the same in all countries (including the UK).
The law, straight from the Austrian government is this :
Compulsory Winter Tyres
Trucks with a permissible maximum weight exceeding 3.5 t and busses
Trucks with a permissible maximum weight exceeding 3.5 t and related motor vehicles may be operated only between 1 November and 15 April if winter tyres are installed on the wheels of at least one drive axle.
Busses and related motor vehicles may be operated only between 1 November and 15 March, if winter tyres are installed on the wheels of at least one drive axle.
Please Note: Winter tyres are tyres designed for use as snow and mud tyres with a certain profile depth, i.e., tyres marked "M + S". All-season tyres are also considered winter tyres if they have the "M + S" mark.
Vehicles exempt from this requirement are:
public security service vehicles, army vehicles, and fire trucks on which it is impossible or not useful to install winter tyres due to the vehicle's design or due to its predominant purpose of use,
vehicles equipped with "special" tyres due to the vehicle’s design or due to its predominant purpose of use,
vehicles used for tests or the transfer of vehicles.
Passenger cars and trucks with a permissible maximum weight of up to 3.5 t
Passenger cars and trucks with a permissible maximum weight of up to 3.5 t may be operated only between 1 November and 15 April in winter conditions such as snow, slush or ice if winter tyres have been installed on all wheels.
As an alternative to winter tyres, snow chains may be used on at least two driving wheels, however, these may only be used in case the road is covered by a complete or scarcely broken snow cover or sheet of ice.
Please Note: Winter tyres are tyres with a certain depth of profile used as snow and mud tyres or as snow, mud and ice tyres, i.e., tyres marked "M/E" or "M/S/E".
Compulsory Snow Chains
Between 1 November and 15 April drivers of trucks with a permissible weight exceeding 3.5 t and bus drivers as well as drivers of related vehicles are required to carry suitable snow chains for at least two driving wheels onboard.
Snow chains may only be used if necessary and only if they are mounted in such a way that they do not damage the road surface.
Vehicles exempt from this regulation are:
vehicles on which it is impossible to mount snow chains for design reasons,
vehicles that can only be used on snow-free roads due to their design,
vehicles belonging to Class M2 and M3 (busses) used for public transportation.
so there's no requirement to have winter tires at all for general usage, if you're on a snow covered road you're required to have snow chains or winter tires which I think everyone was fully aware of.
nevertheless seasons greetings !
Trencher
reply to 'Winter driving' posted Dec-2008
So if it starts snowing and you don't have winter tires, you had better pull over and hope that the road gets completely covered so you can put the snow chains on. Or risk a fine. Did I read that correctly
Trencher
Trencher
because I'm so inclined .....
Ise
reply to 'Winter driving' posted Dec-2008
Trencher wrote:So if it starts snowing and you don't have winter tires, you had better pull over and hope that the road gets completely covered so you can put the snow chains on. Or risk a fine. Did I read that correctly
Trencher
yes that's about right, it's fair enough of course, they don't want to make it illegal for people from the UK or Holland etc etc to enter the country but they want people to be equipped. In practice, if it's snowing and the road is partly or completely snow covered then you'll be fine with chains on. Your real worry is no chains, no winter tyres and a snow covered road, that's where you'll be in bother.
For the people going in holiday the message is pretty simple, you must have either winter tires or chains if there's snow on the road as you'd expect. Being informed you just take your own decision, you might choose not to be equipped at all but you're not going to be allowed on some routes.
My own advice, after 12 years living in alpine countries and a few years before that driving in the alps, is that you really need chains and winter tires only if you can. If you're planning to drive around while you're in the Alps and try different stations then I'd advise winter tires if you can get them on the hire car as it's easier. But I see people visiting around here managing perfectly well with ordinary tires and chains. Again, from experience with 4WD drive and winter tires I do need chains from time to time so to me that's the most important thing.
It's up to the individual, you take your own choice based on what you know.
Dave Mac
reply to 'Winter driving' posted Dec-2008
There is a bit of semantics here.
The bottom line is, 1 November-15 April:
If I do a car hire, do not have winter tyres, and the journey does not encounter "snow, slush,ice", then I am legal.
If, on the other hand, during the hire period, at a time when I am driving, and encounter "snow, slush,ice", then I am illegal. As a result, heavy fines or temporary loss of vehicle may be imposed for breaches of this legislation.
Do I feel lucky?
So this really does mean getting chains hired. Can be done at the car hire desk. What I do anyway, though not normally in March. Also important is understanding the road snow coverage aspect.
The bottom line is, 1 November-15 April:
If I do a car hire, do not have winter tyres, and the journey does not encounter "snow, slush,ice", then I am legal.
If, on the other hand, during the hire period, at a time when I am driving, and encounter "snow, slush,ice", then I am illegal. As a result, heavy fines or temporary loss of vehicle may be imposed for breaches of this legislation.
Do I feel lucky?
So this really does mean getting chains hired. Can be done at the car hire desk. What I do anyway, though not normally in March. Also important is understanding the road snow coverage aspect.
Ise
reply to 'Winter driving' posted Dec-2008
I appreciate your intent Dave but it's not a question of semantics, what I posted was quite clear because I made careful that it was both clear and accurate. My intention was provide some accurate information and some amount of personal experience from the many years I've lived here. That was derailed by being misquoted and wilfully misunderstood and then abused. Obviously I well understand the exact legal position in Austria, in fact I posted the piece from the Austrian government on this forum earlier this week.
Ldavies
reply to 'Winter driving' posted Dec-2008
Er, Dave Mac and Jan,
Given that it's bucketing down in Niederau, and Blodyn abnd I are starting our journey, Thelma-and-Louise-style, early on Saturday morning, hoping to get to Worgle by, er, lunchtime, do you think we should invest in some chains?
My plan is to telephone big Phil or Eric and ask them to come down to Worgl with chains to fit Blod's car, if the Worgle/Niederau road is iffy. L.
Given that it's bucketing down in Niederau, and Blodyn abnd I are starting our journey, Thelma-and-Louise-style, early on Saturday morning, hoping to get to Worgle by, er, lunchtime, do you think we should invest in some chains?
My plan is to telephone big Phil or Eric and ask them to come down to Worgl with chains to fit Blod's car, if the Worgle/Niederau road is iffy. L.
Ian Wickham
reply to 'Winter driving' posted Dec-2008
I guess with global warming this whole subject matter will be a thing of the past soon :-)
Topic last updated on 21-December-2008 at 23:35