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Insurance companies BALTA (PZU Group) therefore remind that from December 1 to March 1, all cars in Latvia must be equipped with winter tires. However, the experience of recent years shows that one “unexpected” winter day, unexpected snow and slippery driveways surprise many Latvian drivers and in general can cost them significant sums of money. Therefore, winter tires should not be delayed in particular in November, although 1 December still seems a long way off.
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“Latvia is by no means unique, and in most European countries the use of winter tires is mandatory. Needless to say, these countries are located in central and northern Europe, where sudden snowfall or slippery roads are not uncommon during the winter. The only difference is the dates on which the use of winter tires is compulsory: they range from 1 November to 1 December in the autumn and from 1 March to 31 March in the spring. However, there is still no shortage of drivers for whom winter comes as a big “surprise”, causing a lot of headaches just because the change of summer tires to winter tires has been postponed until the last minute, “explains Kristaps Liecinieks, the insurer’s representative.
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Observations from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center show that temperatures that cause ice formation are not uncommon in November.
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In the second half of November, there have been days below zero each year for the last four years *,
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which also means high-risk driving conditions.
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The insurance expert points out – with the onset of the first snow, in recent years several times recorded a situation where the number of road accidents doubles. It happened on November 23 last year, when the first snow was blown, and November 27, 2018 was unforgettable, which caused a big “surprise” for Latvian motorists – it was snowing all over Latvia, and driving conditions suddenly deteriorated, and according to the insurer, on this date 1 , 4 times more accidents than the average at another time.
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Important about winter tires:
– in accordance with the Latvian road traffic regulations, the permissible minimum tread depth of winter tires is 4 millimeters;
– even if the tire wear has not yet reached the maximum permissible, one set of winter tires should not be used for more than 5 years, as the rubber hardens over time and loses part of the manufacturer’s intended adhesion to the road surface;
– the outer edge of each tire is marked in a square or circle with four digits indicating the time of manufacture of the tire. The first two are weekly, the second two are annual decipherments. It is especially important to look at this mark when purchasing used winter tires.
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* Riga observation station in Teika district.
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