Penalty for driving on winter tires in summer

You will be fined for using winter tires in summer.

Many drivers, especially inexperienced ones, often forget or simply do not have time to change the seasonal tires on their car. As a result, at best, they can be stopped by a traffic police officer, and at worst, this can lead to more serious consequences - an accident.

At the same time, the danger comes not only from driving on summer tires in winter, but also vice versa - in summer on winter wheels. In the article we will look at what fines are imposed for wearing winter tires in the summer, as well as other types of liability for incorrect “shoes” of the car.

Why you can't drive on winter tires in summer

It is well known that summer tires make the car less controllable in winter due to the small tread depth and tire hardness.

What are the dangers of using winter tires in summer? The alloy of winter tires is softer in structure than summer tires and this has the following consequences:

Increased braking distance due to increased rubber melting.
Poor handling due to poor adhesion to asphalt.
Tires become very hot.
Rapid wear - the tread of winter tires will wear off in a few trips, and the tire will simply become unusable.

Restrictions for driving out of season

Until 2015, the Law did not provide for fines for driving on winter tires in the summer, although there were attempts to introduce it back in 2013. In 2014, the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union were adopted, according to which, from the beginning of 2015, a fine was introduced for driving a car on out-of-season tires .

The regulations include provisions according to which it is prohibited to drive on summer tires in the winter months - December, January, February, and on winter tires in the summer - June, July and August, respectively. That is, driving on any tires in the fall or spring is not considered a violation.

The regulation also states that the rules for the use of seasonal tires can be adjusted according to the weather conditions of each region.

It is clear that somewhere in the northern regions of the country no one drives summer tires due to permafrost, however, amendments to the regulations must be adopted by each region separately, so in the first time after its adoption, misunderstandings may arise with traffic police officers.

Amount of fine

When developing the bill, it was planned to fine drivers up to 2,000 rubles for driving on out-of-season tires. As a result, this initiative was not supported, therefore, according to the Code of Administrative Offenses, the fine for this offense is minimal - according to the general norm for driving a vehicle that does not meet technical requirements - 500 rubles .

The penalty for repeating such a violation remains the same.

Since the concepts of winter and summer tires are new in our legislation, it is expected that additions will be made in the near future regarding the amount of punishment.

Tread height

Since January 2015, the rules regarding tire tread height have also changed. As before, the tread of summer tires must be at least 1.6 mm, but now there are minimum height values for winter tires - 4 mm .

If you are stopped by traffic police for violating these standards, the fine will also be 500 rubles.

Studded tires

Many people are also concerned about the issue of tires with studs. There is no separate fine for studded tires in 2019, since the new regulation of the Customs Union does not provide for the concept of “studded tires” at all.

Therefore, in this case, general standards will be used, namely, studded tires are equal to winter tires and the fine for driving them in the summer is 500 rubles .

Video: New technical regulations on tire seasonality

Many motorists may argue with the new fines, since the traffic rules do not contain the concepts of winter and summer tires. However, the norms of the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union are norms of international law and are equivalent to domestic legislation. However, in order to avoid misunderstandings, traffic regulations may soon change, and it is also possible to add a separate type of sanctions to the Code of Administrative Offenses for driving on off-season tires.

Fines for out-of-season tires in 2019 - for studs or winter tires in summer, bald or summer tires in winter

In recent years, there have been regular conversations and rumors that Russia will soon introduce a fine for using winter tires in the summer and summer tires in the winter. They even named exact dates, and sometimes they even named the exact amount of a 2,000 ruble fine for summer tires on a winter road. First of all, we want to reassure all drivers at once - these fines for out-of-season tires were not introduced in 2019, but Bill N 464241-6 “On Amendments to the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses (to ensure safety during the operation of vehicles)” , which stipulated penalties for using summer tires in winter, was not adopted in the first reading.

But what kind of tires can a car owner be fined for if his vehicle runs on summer tires in winter and winter tires in summer? How to behave in a dialogue with a traffic police inspector in the event of a stop and inspection of the car’s wheels?

However, 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, since it is possible that soon another bill will be approved in the State Duma and penalties will be introduced. In this article we will look at the problem in detail.

Are there penalties for out-of-season tires?

Back in 2014, bill No. 464241-6 was introduced into the State Duma of the country, which proposed supplementing Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation with part 3.2:

“Part 3.2 as follows: “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, consideration of this bill was postponed, but on October 20, 2016, it was sent for consideration to the State Duma and was to be considered in three readings. But in fact, the bill on a fine 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 2019, consideration of the “tire bill” was no longer started.

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 fear 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 guidelines are November 15 for changing tires from summer to winter, and March 15 for switching from winter tires to summer.

Of course, these dates are rather arbitrary, and they differ in certain regions of the Russian Federation. Drivers, relying on common sense, when changing tires, focus not on dates, but on weather conditions. That is, if it’s already spring on the calendar, and there’s still snow on the roads and the forecast promises icy conditions, then no one will “change their shoes” to summer tires . And if in the warm Crimea or Sochi in November, and sometimes even in December, the weather is sunny, warm, and the road surface is dry and clean, then drivers are unlikely to switch to winter tires urgently.

What penalties were offered for summer tires in winter?

As we said above, rumors that in the near future it will be prohibited 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:

To be fined for driving a vehicle using tires that are not in accordance with the season (the driver must use winter tires in the cold months, or “change the car’s shoes” taking into account the average daily temperature.
To be fined for driving a vehicle on winter tires with studs in the summer.
Refusal of insurance payment in the event that during an accident the culprit’s vehicle was wearing tires that were not appropriate for the season.

But, as we see, so far all these legislative initiatives have not gone further than bills, and you still decide for yourself when to change tires from summer to winter and vice versa! There is no fine for summer tires in winter in the Russian Federation!

Is there a penalty for wearing winter tires in summer?

If you study the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union TR CU 018/2011 “On the safety of wheeled vehicles,” you will find out that it brought new rules for Russian motorists. In this technical regulation, in paragraph 5.5 of Appendix No. 8, there are the following provisions on the use of certain car tires at different times of the year:

You can drive on summer tires from June to August (they must be studless).
From December to February, drivers can take part in road traffic while driving a car shod with winter tires (studded or not).
In the CU regulations 018/2011 you will not find the concept of “all-season tires”.
Compliance with tire wear limits is mandatory.

At the level of regional authorities, it is allowed to change the months of the established ban on the use of tires by season - these nuances must be recorded in regional regulations.

When is it legal to install winter tires in 2019?

Good afternoon, dear reader.

Every year, as cold weather approaches, drivers begin to wonder when to put on winter tires. Currently, the answer to this question is partially regulated by a regulatory legal document.

In this article we will talk about the legally established deadlines for changing summer tires to winter ones. In addition, a fine for improper use of tires will be considered.

When is it legal to switch to winter tires?

Let's consider paragraph 5.5 of Appendix 8 to the technical regulations of the customs union TR CU 018/2011 “On the safety of wheeled vehicles”:

5.5. It is prohibited to operate vehicles equipped with tires with anti-skid studs in the summer (June, July, August).

During the winter period ( December, January, February ), the operation of vehicles of categories M1 and N1 that are not equipped with winter tires that meet the requirements of paragraph 5.6.3 of this annex is prohibited. Winter tires are installed on all wheels of these vehicles.

A period different from that specified in paragraph one of this paragraph may be established by the legislation of a member state of the Eurasian Economic Union in connection with climatic and geographical factors characteristic of member states of the Eurasian Economic Union.

So, what can be understood from this paragraph:

During the summer months (June, July, August) only studded tires are prohibited. This requirement applies to all vehicles.
During the winter months (December, January, February), only winter tires are permitted. You can put both studded and non-studded tires on your car. The main thing is that they are marked “M+S”, “M&S” or “MS” and the corresponding drawing (in the picture on the left). The requirement applies only to category B (M1 cars and N1 trucks). The restriction does not apply to other vehicles from November 11, 2018.
The terms of the ban on exploitation can only be increased by the legislative authority of any level (federal, regional) and cannot be reduced. Those. In your region, for example, the use of studded tires may be prohibited from May to September. At the same time, regional authorities cannot reduce the period of the ban, i.e. From June to August, cars in all regions must not use studs.

Thus, there are the following intervals for using car tires:

Summer tires (without M+S marking, etc.) can be used from March to November.
Winter studded tires (marked M+S, etc.) can be used from September to May.
Winter studless tires (marked M+S, etc.) can be used all year round.

Let's look at a table with periods of possible tire use throughout the year:

Is it allowed to drive on winter tires in summer?

As stated in the traffic rules law

The answer to the question whether, according to the Rules, the use of out-of-season tires is prohibited is clear - no, it is not prohibited. Justifications below.

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Since July 1, 1994, the Road Traffic Rules, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1090 of October 23, 1993, have come into force on the roads.

It says that a motorist is prohibited from operating a vehicle if the tires:

have external damage (for example, cuts or punctures exposing the cord);
the size or permissible load do not correspond to the vehicle model;
delaminate along the frame or sidewall.

In addition, you should not drive a car if:

tires with different parameters are installed on one axle (for example, a radial tire is installed on the left front, and a diagonal tire is installed on the right front);
the remaining tread depth (measured with a caliper) is less than the value regulated by law (for example, for standard passenger cars of category M1, the depth must be more than 1.6 mm).

Is it possible to drive a vehicle in summer on winter tires?

Despite the fact that the traffic rules do not directly prohibit drivers from driving a car equipped with winter tires in the summer months, this does not mean that this action is permitted.

The corresponding ban is stated in the Technical Regulations TR CU 018/2011, approved by the Decision of the Customs Union Commission No. 877 of December 9, 2011 (hereinafter referred to as the Technical Regulations).

It says that in the summer (June, July, August) you cannot drive a car that has tires with anti-skid spikes.

This legal norm should be interpreted literally - that is, in the summer months you can drive on winter tires (and any other tires in general) if they do not have studs.

If the spikes are removed or knocked out

It seems that the absence of all the studs transfers the tire to the studless category, which means that driving one in the summer, according to the technical regulations, is allowed.

Velcro

In the colloquial language of car enthusiasts, this type means a studless winter tire.

As for driving in the summer on such tires, yes, it is allowed, and still in accordance with the same norm of the Technical Regulations, which prohibits driving in the summer exclusively on tires equipped with anti-skid studs.

What are the road hazards?

Many motorists believe that if winter tires “hold” the car perfectly in snow or ice conditions, then in the summer, when the danger of slipping is minimized, they will perform even better.

Therefore, when driving a car equipped with winter tires in the summer, the driver will increasingly notice the effect of increasing hydroplaning, which will not have the best effect on road safety.

Moreover, winter and summer tires differ in composition - softer material is used in the production of the former.

Increased softness affects the wear of tires when used in the summer - a motorist who has been driving on them all summer risks incurring additional financial costs associated with the purchase of a new set of wheels by the time autumn arrives.

Neglecting to replace tires also risks:

noticeable increase in braking distance;
slow vehicle reactions to steering wheel rotation;
decreased directional stability on the highway and in city conditions, etc.

What are the fines?

As of 2019, there are no sanctions for using out-of-season tires in the current version of the Administrative Code. However, legislators planned to introduce corresponding liability.

Although the driver may well be charged under Part 1 of Art. 12.5. Code of Administrative Offenses and punish either in the form of a warning or a fine of 500 rubles.

Bill to penalize out-of-season use

On March 3, 2014, members of the Federation Council Tyulpanov, Dobrynin, Klishas and deputies of the State Duma Ilyasov, Kolesnik, Andreev and Gerasimova came up with a legislative initiative to tighten liability for citizens who violate the requirements of the Technical Regulations regarding tires and wheels.

The corresponding bill No. 464241-6 provided for the addition of Art. 12.5. Code of Administrative Offenses with a new part 3.2., which would regulate the imposition of a fine in the amount of 2000 rubles for any violation of the requirements of legislative acts regarding wheels and tires.

However, the matter did not go beyond the first reading by the State Duma. At the moment, the project has been rejected, so the desire of some legislators to tighten responsibility remains so.

Will the car pass?

To purchase an MTPL policy, for driving without which liability is provided for in Part 2 of Art. 12.37. Code of Administrative Offenses (traffic police fine 800 rubles), you must first issue a diagnostic card, that is, undergo a technical inspection.

The DC will not be issued if:

non-compliance of the tread pattern height with the requirements established in clause 5.6. Appendix 8 to the Technical Regulations;
installation of different tires on one axle;
there is a section of the treadmill where the tread pattern height is below the minimum set value.

A motorist who arrives at a service station in the hot season with out-of-season tires will be able to undergo a technical inspection provided that the tire meets other established safety requirements.

Video: What happens if you drive on winter tires in the summer? Every driver should know this!

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Penalty for driving on winter tires in summer: what all motorists need to know

Russia belongs to the category of those countries in which there is a need to change not only clothes and shoes, but also car tires according to the season. Often, Russian vehicle owners ignore the timely replacement of tires, including forgetting to change winter tires in the summer, and such neglect can not only be costly in the form of fines, certain material damage, but even lead to an accident. All this and how to avoid such unpleasant consequences will be discussed in this article.

What is written in the traffic rules about seasonal restrictions

The rules for the use of vehicles, equipment and its components are legally regulated in several regulatory documents. This also applies to the issue of using winter tires in the summer.

The main regulatory document that thoroughly regulates the use of tires in different seasons of the year (as a rule, these are only two seasons: summer and winter) is the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of wheeled vehicles.”

In accordance with the adopted resolution of the Customs Union Commission dated December 9, 2011 N 877, the technical regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of wheeled vehicles” came into force on January 1, 2015. Based on this document, which is valid for all countries that are members of the customs union (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan), appropriate amendments have been made to the national traffic rules.

For traffic rules regulating the use of tires on vehicles in Russia, the following edition of the rules has been adopted. They relate directly to the operation of winter tires in the summer.

In particular, paragraph 5.5 of Appendix No. 8 “Requirements for vehicles in operation” of the Russian Traffic Regulations states the following:

a complete ban is established on the use of winter tires reinforced with metal anti-skid studs for the entire summer period. This refers to the calendar summer period - only June, July and August. However, these deadlines may differ in different regions of the country. Most of the Russian territories and regions are located in a temperate climate zone, where, in general, the timing of the calendar and seasonal summers approximately coincide. At the same time, in the regions of the North and the Arctic these periods can generally be one or two months. On the contrary, in warm southern regions such periods can be increased to 6 months. Thus, the specific terms for using winter tires in the summer, as well as summer tires in the winter, are established by regional legislation. Such regulatory documents take the form of decrees of governors or governments of the relevant regions, republics, or territories of the Russian Federation.

An example of winter tire markings.

Tires marked with special signs, designations such as “M+S”, “M&S”, “MS” or with a marking in the form of a triangle with a snowflake inside are prohibited from use.
Winter tires are prohibited from being used in summer if the depth of the residual rubber tread profile is more than 4 mm. Some types of tires have a special wear indicator that can be used to roughly determine the degree of wear.
The used winter tires have cuts, cracks and other obvious, visible defects that can lead to further deformation of the car tire tread and the protective part of its tread.
combination of two types of wheels and treads used on one car. For example, studded tires on one axle of a car, and not studded tires on the other.

In addition to these fairly stringent requirements, existing guidelines for the use of winter tires in summer also require that all tires on a vehicle must be fully compatible with the type of vehicle, its dynamic axle load and operating speed.

Is it dangerous to drive on winter tires in summer?

The question of how dangerous it is to drive in the summer on winter tires cannot be underestimated, despite the seemingly insignificant difference in what tires can be used in the height of the summer period.

However, this issue is very serious, since we are talking primarily about road safety. How winter tires can be dangerous in summer:

Firstly, winter tires are made from softer types of rubber - plastic substances, making the tread elastic. In the summer, and even on sun-heated asphalt, such a tire does not have strong grip on the road surface. This increases the car's braking distance by about 7-10%. (on average for a passenger car at a speed of 60 km/h the braking distance increases by 3-4 meters).
Secondly, due to their more plastic structure, winter tires on hard, dry summer asphalt are subject to faster wear, which will lead to the need to change wheels more often. In addition, rapid tire wear also increases the risk of a decrease in the braking performance of the car.
Thirdly, winter tires tend to heat up quickly in the summer. This, accordingly, not only degrades the quality of braking with such protectors, but also disrupts the structure of the dynamics of movement of the wheel pairs. This leads to unstable behavior of the car - its yaw increases even on a flat highway.
Fourthly, the use of winter car tires with metal studs does not allow the tread to effectively cover the entire surface area during braking. The studs simply do not provide sufficient traction area with the asphalt concrete road surface and the effect of wheel slipping occurs. This is critically important not only when braking, but even when accelerating the car. Sometimes such slippage can contribute to the appearance of a skid effect when the car starts to move.

Responsibility for violations

The Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation does not directly establish specific liability for driving on winter tires in the summer. However, in Art. 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses contains a rule defining the responsibility of the driver (vehicle owner) for violations related to the technical non-compliance of the vehicle with operating conditions.

This also includes non-compliance with the above Technical Regulations, clause 5.5. . It just talks about the terms and standards of operation of car tires. Thus, why can a traffic police inspector fine a driver if he is found to have winter tires in the summer?

Standards for the use of car tires by type in accordance with the Technical Regulations: