Despite snowfall and icy roads, some people still drive on summer tires and thus put all road users at risk. This is why PS national councilor Gabriela Suter now wants to enshrine the obligation to use winter tires into law.
Every year it’s the same: after autumn comes winter. It’s cold and it ends up snowing. Although this is to be expected, every year some people are surprised. This was the case last week: despite the snowy roads, motorists were still driving with summer tires.
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This is dangerous because summer tires offer significantly less grip when temperatures are low and the roads are icy. But it’s not forbidden. In the event of an accident, you certainly risk having problems with insurance, but you theoretically also have the right to drive in winter with summer tires.
“It’s totally irresponsible”
PS national councilor Gabriela Suter
For her, it is first and foremost about road safety:
“These people not only endanger themselves, but also other road users”
This is why she insists that winter tires must be mandatory. If winter tires were enshrined in law, the police could also carry out preventive checks and penalize offending drivers.
His colleague Benjamin Giezendanner (UDC) does not share his opinion. It focuses instead on individual responsibility. “Currently, every motorist can say for himself: I am now putting on my winter tires.” The transport entrepreneur doubts whether an obligation to use winter tires will actually lead to fewer accidents. In addition, the UDC elected official thinks that it would be difficult to find a reference day for changing tires in Switzerland, because the first snow on the plains generally occurs later than in mountain regions.
The last few days have shown that individual responsibility has not really worked: summer tires are responsible for a third of this week’s accidents. Gabriela Suter is therefore maintaining her project, she is preparing an intervention to the National Council. According to the PS national advisor, including in law the obligation to drive with winter tires from November to the end of February is a pragmatic and easy-to-implement solution. (phh)
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Translated and adapted from German by Léa Krejci
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