Winter Tyres in Scandinavia

Winter tyres in Scandinavia are more than an optional extra; they are a way of life. This is especially true in the northern parts of Scandinavia, where using salt is considered bad for the environment; snow is not cleared from the road but it is compacted to form a smooth concrete-like base to which grit can be added. Once your vehicle is fitted with winter tyres, this surface makes for a smooth, safe driving experience. Not changing to winter tyres is a recipe for disaster.

Winter tyres can be one of two types – either with small spikes, or non-spiked tyres made from a special rubber compound. Most drivers who live in southern Scandinavia prefer non-spiked tyres. This is because they don’t have continuous snow cover throughout the winter and spiked tyres give less grip on bare tarmac. Spiked tyres wear the roads more and are consequently sometimes subject to an extra tax; they are also considered more harmful to the environment – not just because of the wear on the roads but because they are noisier and said to release more particles into the atmosphere.

Traditionally spiked tyres are more commonly used in the Northern areas of Scandinavia, mainly because traditionalists think that spiked tyres give better grip on the harder snow and ice. However this could be argued not to be true as tyre technology has moved forward in leaps and bounds recently. Spiked tyres are generally cheaper than non-spiked versions and as every vehicle owner must have two sets of tyres, cost is of utmost consideration. Another disadvantage of spiked tyres is that they cannot be used all year round. For example in Sweden they are only allowed to be put on your vehicle on the 1st October and have to be taken off by the 30th April. If there is early snow on the ground there is a collective sigh of relief in Scandinavia come the beginning of October. Although not to the standard of Formula 1 or NASCAR, most Scandinavians are experts in changing their own tyres and have a collective weekend where they “winterize” or “summarize” their cars every spring and autumn.

In Norway, winter tyres are called “Vinterdekk” and in Denmark, they are known as “Vinterdæk“.