Are you fined for wearing winter tires in summer?

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.

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.

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 possible to drive on winter tires in summer and what is the fine?

On winter tires in summer

Driving on winter tires in summer is prohibited. And we are talking specifically about the summer months: June, July and August. But there are nuances when you can run into a fine for this, and in what cases it can be avoided without losing the increased risk of getting into an accident due to seasonality discrepancies. Now let’s talk about exactly what laws regulate the seasonality of the use of winter and summer tires and what fines are provided for tires that do not correspond to the season.

What do the traffic rules say?

The direct answer to our main question says absolutely nothing useful. Traffic regulations regulate the condition of tires and wheels, as well as the combination of their use on different axles.

But whether it is possible to drive on winter tires in the summer, as well as the possibility of using summer tires in the winter, is regulated by the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union “ On the safety of wheeled vehicles ”. It is he who prohibits the use in the summer months of tires labeled as winter, but only studded.

5.5. It is prohibited to operate vehicles equipped with tires with anti-skid studs in the summer (June, July, August) .
.
The terms of the operation ban may be changed upward by regional government bodies of the member states of the Customs Union.

Thus, you can drive in the summer on winter tires if they are not studded, but studded ones are prohibited.

What's wrong with my region?

As can be seen from the quote above, each region can change the timing of the ban on the use of winter tires in summer. You can find out this on the websites of the administrations of your regions or on the website of the government of the subject. But at the moment, not a single region has changed these dates, despite the difference in climate in our large country.

What's the fine?

Here's some good news! Despite the direct ban on driving a vehicle with winter tires in the summer, there is no punishment for this in 2019: no fine, no operating ban, no other sanctions from the Administrative Code.

If a traffic police officer tries to deceive you, demand that you indicate a specific article of the Code of Administrative Offenses. In any case, it is indicated in the resolution and protocol - this obligation is regulated by the Administrative Code. And the Code of Administrative Offenses has an article - 12.5, part 1, which provides for a fine of 500 rubles for driving under conditions under which such driving is prohibited.

But this article has a direct reference to traffic rules, and the latter do not contain any prohibition. We have already mentioned above that such a ban is contained in the Technical Regulations.

What can a fine be issued for?

But there are other requirements for tires - specifically even for winter tires, because at the moment you are using them. We described in detail how winter and summer tires formally differ in another article about summer tires in winter. In short, this is the marking of a snowflake on a mountain with three peaks or the meaning of “M+S”, “M&S”, “MS”.

This is what she looks like:

That is, even if the tires are even studded, but there is no indicated marking, then formally you are not violating anything.

So, all requirements for winter tires, for which a fine may be issued, are regulated by the Traffic Regulations, specifically, Section 5 of the Main Faults (Appendix to the Traffic Regulations). Let's list them:

tread depth of at least 4 mm (and it doesn’t matter that you use winter tires in the summer, a smaller residual depth is prohibited specifically for tires labeled as winter tires); but the requirement is relevant only if there are no wear indicators on the tires. If so, then, according to these indicators;
There is damage on the tires in the form of:
1. cuts, peeling, tears, if the cord is visible (it does not matter whether the cord threads are broken or not),
2. separation of the tread from the “side”;
if the tires do not correspond to the vehicle speed or load index;
on one axle (front or rear) there are different tires, except for new and used ones (if they are not retreaded tires);
studded tires are installed at the same time as non-studded tires.

If you do not comply with the above requirements, then a fine of 500 rubles becomes legal.

If the studs on studded tires come out

Let's consider a slightly more complex situation - when the car has winter tires, but without the remaining studs - is it possible to drive on such tires? Yes. According to the letter of the quotation from the Technical Regulations, the ban refers to a car equipped with tires with studs

The same applies to Velcro - winter tires that a priori are not equipped with studs.

But if the spikes remain, then another requirement with a fine awaits you. About him below.

Is it possible to drive in summer on winter tires? Traffic rules and fines in 2019

The regulations in Russian legislation regarding wheels change regularly according to the season, but the laws of physics do not. 4R.ru sorted out both of them.

Photo: 4R.ru, oshipovka-kazan.ru

In mid-spring, most Russian drivers solve a quest every morning. Is it time to change to summer tires or is it not worth it yet? Is the weather warm enough, are there morning and evening frosts, have the queues from tire shops subsided? And sooner or later he switches to summer tires and forgets about seasonal re-shoes until October. But there is a category of car owners who do not plan to change tires due to the change of seasons. They are concerned about another question.

Will Russian drivers face penalties for driving on winter tires in spring and summer? This topic is regularly rewritten in the Traffic Regulations and the Administrative Code, so in early spring it is better to clarify once again what the law on winter tires in 2019 requires. And also remember once again why and how summer tires differ from winter friction and studded tires, and still think about changing shoes.

Why is it dangerous to drive in spring and summer on winter tires?

Whatever your winter tires are - studded, friction, or even so-called “Eurowinter”, they “work” noticeably worse in the warm season. Due to the composition of the rubber compound, designed specifically for sub-zero temperatures, any winter tires are very soft. And on warm asphalt they heat up and literally melt. Firstly, this leads to their rapid wear - the tires are worn out in a matter of kilometers.

Secondly, winter tires lose their grip properties. This leads to an increase in braking distance at temperatures above +7 degrees by several meters compared to summer tires! The car also handles worse and accelerates more slowly. Even the fuel consumption of a car with out-of-season tires increases.

It is even more dangerous to drive in hot weather on studded tires. The steel tips, which are supposed to bite into ice or dense snow, try in vain to grab onto the asphalt, but slide along its surface. As a result, again, an increased braking distance, worse handling, and even studs destroy the road surface, fly out of their grooves and can damage other cars in the stream.

Is it legal to drive on winter tires in the spring in 2019?

Let's clarify one thing right away. There are no recommendations or prohibitions regarding car tires for the autumn and spring months. The law regulates only the summer and winter months. However, regions of the Russian Federation can change the duration of the ban taking into account weather and climatic conditions.

The answer to this question depends on the type of winter tires - three types of winter tires are used in Russia: studded, non-studded (otherwise called “friction” or “Velcro”) and “Eurowinter” . The requirements for the condition of tires are regulated by two documents: the technical regulations “On the safety of wheeled vehicles” and the Basic Provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation, which complement each other.

At the moment, the “Basic provisions for the approval of vehicles for operation” do not yet have a clause introducing a ban on “winter” tires in the summer. Meanwhile, on January 1, 2015, another document came into force - the technical regulations “On the safety of wheeled vehicles” of the Customs Union, which states that during the entire winter period, i.e. from December to March, all vehicles must be operated only on winter rubber. In summer, driving on studded tires is also prohibited.

Is it possible to ride on spikes in spring and summer?

No you can not. The ban on using studded tires applies to three summer months: June, July and August. And we remind you that in a particular Russian region this period may be longer due to climatic conditions. So if you are not scared (and not annoyed!) by spikes scraping the asphalt, at least follow the rules.

Is it possible to drive in spring and summer on non-studded winter tires?

Yes. The law does not prohibit riding on winter Velcro during the warm season. Unlike conscience, which reminds: a car on winter tires in the warm season will stop a few meters later and handles worse! And don’t forget about the risk of aquaplaning in the warm season - summer tires do a much better job of draining water from the contact patch due to the tread pattern.

Is it possible to drive a Eurowinter in spring and summer?

The so-called “Eurowinter” tires are designed for above-zero temperatures, which are typical for many European countries and the southern regions of the Russian Federation. It focuses on combating aquaplaning, which occurs during a damp, warm winter.

Many consumers from warm Russian regions prefer such tires in winter and do not want to spend money on summer tires. However, the composition of the rubber mixture in Eurowinter is still oriented towards winter use, which means that such tires already brake at +10 longer and handle worse.

What is the penalty for driving on out-of-season tires?

The Code of Administrative Offenses does not stipulate a fine for wearing winter tires in summer or for summer tires in winter. However, theoretically, the use of winter (studded) tires in summer can be interpreted as a violation of the requirements of the Technical Regulations - that is, a discrepancy between the technical condition of the car and the standards “driving a vehicle under conditions under which the operation of the vehicle is prohibited.” This will result in a warning or a fine of 500 rubles.

However, the traffic police has repeatedly stated that there are no sanctions for driving a car with wheels out of season and inspectors will not fine you for this.

What tires can a driver still be fined for?

However, a driver can receive a fine for having the “wrong” tires. A traffic police officer has the right to assess how worn the tires are, based on the same Technical Regulations. Moreover, the degree of permissible wear differs depending on whether the tires are winter or summer. Thus, the permissible remaining tread depth of summer car tires is 1.6 mm, and that of winter tires is 4 mm. It's better to change your shoes.