Continental Tyres has once again produced a comprehensive guide highlighting the different tyre requirements UK and Irish truck operators can expect to encounter when they run their vehicles in Europe this winter.
Countries such as Austria, Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland have strict legislation which determines when special winter tyres are required and when snow chains have to be fitted. The Continental guide covers the legal requirements as well as the safety benefits of specifying the correct tyres for the correct applications.
While each country has different requirements, the Continental guide proposes a number of actions to make sure vehicles are safe on the roads when dealing with wintry conditions.
Firstly Continental recommends that all truck tyres should have a minimum remaining tread depth of at least 4mm across all axle positions on a tractor unit.
Secondly that trucks should be fitted with specially developed winter tyres when travelling through hilly regions of middle Europe that are snow covered and have uncleared roads, on roads covered with significant amounts of ice or snow or on winding and sloping roads that are cold and wet.
And finally to ensure maximum safety and vehicle performance winter tyres should be fitted in order of priority on trucks as follows, to the drive axle, to the steer axle and then to the remaining axles such as lift or trailer axles.
“Much obviously depends upon local weather conditions” said Jill Rodgers, Marketing Manager – Commercial Products. “While most situations can be covered by our comprehensive range of winter tyres, it’s become increasingly important in recent years for operators to understand that regulations vary considerably between countries and that penalties for non-compliance can be severe”.
Ms Rodgers continued; “To avoid confusions we clearly define our winter tyres by marking the sidewalls with a snowflake symbol and the word Winter”.
Continental offer HSW (Heavy Steer Winter) and HDW (Heavy Drive Winter) tyres in a range of sizes. HSW and HDW tyres also carry the historic label Scandinavia, indicating that they are suitable for tough winter applications. The angled tread lugs on both tyres are smaller, while the optimised groove geometry and closed shoulders on the HSW ensure a precise steering response, good aquaplaning prevention and straight-line stability.
