German drivers were abuzz recently as that country's lawmakers clarified traffic rules relating to winter tires. Instead of mandating winter tire use during certain months, German drivers are required to utilize winter tires only during wintry weather conditions. Considering that snow and ice are quite common in all of Germany, drivers are quasi required to drive with seasonal tires.
Few would argue that this type of rule increases road safety, although some might well argue about the associated costs. What might seem like a simple rule on the surface quickly becomes more complicated when peeling away the layers. Germans like rules and they especially like rules that are detailed and expansive. Just requiring owners of passenger vehicles to drive with winter tires in wintry conditions is too simplistic. The devil is in the details and below are some of them.
Vehicles affected:
- Passenger vehicles
- Trucks
- Buses
- Motorcycles
Yes, apparently there are winter tires for motorcycles. I did not know that.
In order to cover the gamut, the German regulators also made sure to include rental cars. Under the new regulations, renters, not rental agencies, are responsible for ensuring they adhere to the new rules. I can honestly say that I have never given the tires on my rental cars a thought.
Of course, this is just one instance of Germany’s many rules of the road. The country recently updated its traffic rules and associated fine structure. That’s 224 pages of densely packed German legalese. Let’s also not forgot that country’s very thorough auto safety licensing system that checks the roadworthiness of automobiles. With these rules in place, half the vehicles on US roads would be banned.
I suppose the phrase “freedom isn’t free” could be utilized here. We may not be free to drive without speed limits, but we are free to slide around on public roads and create havoc.
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