The deadline for drivers to change their car tyres from summer to winter is Saturday 1st December.
That’s a big change from just a decade ago, when the deadline was a month earlier on 1st November, and more changes are coming.
From 2020, it’s going to be up to drivers when to make the switch.
“New legislation comes in June 2020. Right now you have to change your tyres on 1st December, or according to the weather conditions. But in 2020 it’s more about when the weather is changing, there’s more personal responsibility one people when they should change their tyres” explains Tapio Heiskanen from the Finnish Road Safety Council Liikenneturva.
“The weather is very slippery and icy, and drivers should already have winter tyres even in southern Finland” Heiskanen tells News Now Finland.
Mechanic’s tips for winter driving
When preparing a car to cope with tough winter driving conditions, there’s there’s more to consider than just putting on the different tyres.
“Check the condition of your winter tyres, especially if you’re using the studded tyres. Check how many studs you actually have left on the tyre, it’s quite important” says mechanic John King, co-owner of Royal Palvelut in Espoo.
When the wheels are off, King recommends checking the condition of your brakes at the same time to see if they need to be replaced.
And thirdly, King advises to check the car’s windscreen wash levels, and make sure to use winter wash and not the summer fluid.
In sub-zero temperatures “he summer wash will freeze, and you won’t have any windscreen wash over the whole winter” he says.
