When you drive abroad in the autumn or winter months — whether it’s a quick trip on the German Autobahn, a winter sports holiday in Austria or a transit through the French Alps — you will encounter strict and highly varied national winter tyre laws. Whereas winter tyres are not mandatory in the Netherlands, our neighbouring countries enforce heavy fines and strict liability rules in the event of accidents.

There is a lot of confusion about recent legal changes: "Are M+S tyres still valid in Germany?", "What exactly does the 3PMSF Alpine symbol mean?", "Why is a tyre with 3.5 mm tread in Austria treated as an illegal summer tyre?" and "How do you fit snow chains to a lowered car or wide aftermarket wheels without causing damage?" In this up-to-date guide the specialists at Wheels 'N Customs explain all European rules, tread depth requirements, speed-index exceptions and clearance considerations for chains in detail.

For years the designation M+S (Mud + Snow / Modder + Sneeuw) was sufficient to comply with the winter tyre requirement in Germany and other European countries. However, the M+S term was never protected: manufacturers could stamp these letters on rubber without any standardised winter test, meaning some cheap summer tyres and all-season tyres carried the label.

Rules and required minimum tread depths vary widely by European country. Pay particular attention to Austria’s different definition of a winter tyre:

According to the European directive fitting tyres with a lower load index (Load Index) than specified by the manufacturer is strictly forbidden at all times. For the speed rating (Speed Rating) there is however an important legal exception for winter tyres:

• Legal Exemption: You may fit winter or all-season tyres with a 3PMSF symbol whose speed rating is lower than the car's official top speed (for example rating H (up to 210 km/h) or V (up to 240 km/h) under a sports car that reaches 270 km/h).
• Mandatory Speed Sticker (Germany & Austria): If you choose a lower rating you are legally obliged in Germany (§ 36 StVZO) and Austria to affix a clearly visible round speed sticker in the driver’s direct field of view (eg left on the dashboard or windscreen) stating "Max. 210 km/h". The absence of this sticker will result in an immediate fine during a police check.
• Electronic Speed Warning (Modern On-board Computer): If your car has a modern digital infotainment system (such as BMW iDrive, Audi MMI or Mercedes MBUX) the physical sticker may be omitted, provided you have set the digital warning limit (speed limiter) in the menu under Vehicle Settings > Tyres > Winter Tyres to the maximum speed of the fitted tyre.

This is where the most costly damage occurs in practice for car enthusiasts travelling to the Alps. When a car is equipped with coilovers or lowering springs (from e.g. Eibach, H&R or KW), or when wider aftermarket wheels with a lower ET value have been fitted, the clearance in the wheel arch is drastically reduced:

• Check the TÜV Certificate of the Wheel: The official TÜV parts certificate (Teilegutachten) for your wheel always states under the paragraph conditions whether the wheel is approved for traditional snow chains (e.g. "Feingliedrige Schneeketten bis 9mm zulässig") or that chains are explicitly prohibited ("Keine Schneeketten zulässig").
• Snow Socks (Textile Snow Covers): Snow socks are easy to fit and take up hardly any space. Since the introduction of the European standard EN 16662-1, certified textile socks are permitted in many countries (including France and Italy) as a legal alternative, provided there is no sign that specifically requires metal chains. In Austria only chains with ÖNORM V5117 are recognised!
• Test-fit Before Departure: Always fit snow chains once at home dry in your garage or driveway. That way you know the chain fits, there is sufficient clearance around the strut and you won’t be fumbling by the motorway in a snowstorm.