What counts as winter road conditions? Drive safely in winter!

Knowing when there are winter road conditions or not can be difficult. Factors such as fallen leaves, rain and mud on the road tell us that the road may be slippery, but when the winter cold starts to creep in and rain mixes with cold nights, it becomes all the more difficult to determine what is winter road conditions and what is not. We sort out the concept and regulations!

What counts as winter road conditions?

Winter road conditions prevail when there is snow, ice, slush or frost on any part of the road surface or road surface. Whether there are winter road laws is determined by the local police authority, but you as a driver also have a responsibility to assess whether you can get around in a safe way for both you and other drivers in traffic.

It is therefore good to be out in good time during the autumn season with a tire change and to follow the legislation that exists for when summer tires must be changed to winter tires.

When are the winter road conditions?

In addition to visible differences on the road such as snow, ice, slush or frost, in Sweden it is required that cars and heavy vehicles have winter tires during the period 1 December to 31 March. If there are winter road conditions or such road conditions are expected to prevail that you need to change to winter tires before December 1, you may use studded tires during the time period October 1 to April 15. The pattern depth on the tires must then be at least 3 millimeters.

Do you need to buy new tires for the season? Then think about investing in a set of tires where safety and durability are optimized, with the help of tests and during the manufacture of the tires. Also keep in mind that it may be worth investing in tires that last more seasons, rather than cheaper tires.

Braking distance winter road conditions

Calculating the exact braking distance in winter road conditions is difficult. How long the braking distance actually is is affected by a number of different factors in addition to the road conditions such as the driver's reaction time, the slope of the road, the quality of the tires, the brakes of the car and the weight of the vehicle (including the load). You can count on the braking distance to be about 10 times longer on a slippery road surface, regardless of whether there are winter road conditions or not, than if you drive on a dry road surface. Calculating the braking distance is therefore always done on the condition that the road conditions are dry.

A simple method to calculate the braking distance in dry conditions and a certain speed is to remove the zero from the speed, multiply the number by itself and by 0.4. Remember that you should always keep your distance from cars in front of you - whether there are winter conditions or not.

To think about when you drive

If the slip should suddenly strike, there are a few things that may be good to think about to get you on the road more safely when there are winter road conditions:

Avoid braking and accelerating hard

Engine brake by letting off the gas as often as you can, especially on downhills. Drive with small steering movements and avoid sharp turns. Keep your eyes far ahead on the road to avoid sudden braking on bends, for example.

Plan your drive

This is always important, but especially important during the winter months when there are winter road conditions. Be out in good time and keep the traffic rhythm. By planning your driving, you also avoid sudden braking. In case of bad luck, it can also be good to have an extra jacket, reflectors in the car and a flashlight. Also avoid driving on the fuel reserve.

How does it look on the road?

The road tells you more about the road conditions than you think. Even a thin cover of snow can cause skidding. Remember that some slippage is difficult to detect - such as slippery ice, or so-called flash slippage, which is transparent on the road.

Which cars are recommended for winter road conditions?

All cars can be driven in winter road conditions, depending on winter tires and road conditions. In general, however, four-wheel drive cars with high ground clearance can be perceived as safer.