North Jutland police tighten checks on winter tyres

North Jutland Police will step up checks on tyres this winter, including during routine stops, and drivers with tyres deemed unsuitable for the weather can be fined 1,000 kroner per tyre, DR reports.

The police district’s operational traffic chief, Hjalte Helbo, said officers would inspect tyres not only after incidents such as crashes but also during ordinary checks or other contact with police.

The law, introduced last year, requires tyres to be suitable for the conditions. On roads covered in snow or ice, tyres must have an M+S marking. In severe winter conditions, they must carry the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, also known as 3PMSF. The rules do not set a specific date for when these requirements apply; the weather determines the conditions.

Police decide whether conditions amount to severe winter weather. Summer tyres are unsuitable in clearly wintry conditions, Helbo said. Drivers can also be fined for worn tyres or for using winter tyres without the snowflake symbol in severe winter conditions.

The Danish car owners’ association FDM advises drivers who rely on their cars to fit winter tyres or good all-season tyres. Its chief consultant, Dennis Lange, said drivers should assume conditions are wintry even without substantial snowfall, as frost on the road may also qualify.