Last winter, the French Ministry of the Interior has published changes to regulations on the use of winter tyres in the country’s mountainous regions. Those changes are soon due to enter into force.
Winter chains or tyres will be mandatory from November 1st, 2021 in mountainous areas, reports the French Road Safety Agency (Sécurité routière).
The prefects of 48 departments located in the mountain ranges (The Alps, Corsica, Central Massif, Jura Massif, Pyrenees, Vosges Massif) will soon draw up a list of municipalities where the new vehicle equipment requirement will apply in winter, i.e. from November 1st to March 31st.
Work on the regulations has lasted over five year. Until now, it was only obligatory to use snow chains on roads in France marked with a road sign and only when they were covered with snow.
The new regulations will require light commercial vehicles, as well as trucks without a trailer or semi-trailer, to have 4 winter tyres (marked as M + S / MS / M & S) or to install snow chains on two driving wheels, reports the French carrier organization OTRE.
In addition, trucks with a trailer or semi-trailer must have snow chains that allow them to be mounted on at least two driving wheels – even if they have winter tyres.
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