Trailers, all-wheel drive, and rentals

Common misconceptions that lead to fines on exam day — and in real life.

You will learn, among other things:

The trailer counts too
AWD is no excuse
Rental car in winter conditions
When to switch

Shows winter tire tread depth, relevant for the regulations that also apply to trailers and rental cars.

Illustrates winter tire season date regulations that are often misunderstood for trailers and all-wheel drive.

Rule

The trailer counts too

Under Trafikförordningen 4 kap 18 a § the list of vehicles that must have winter tyres ends with the trailer drawn by the car, and it sets no weight threshold at all. A 300 kg box trailer is covered exactly as a 1 500 kg one is. If the car is on studs, TSFS 2009:19 11 § goes further and requires the trailer to be studded as well. Do not confuse this with the 750 kg figure. That one belongs to licence classes and to annual inspection, and it has nothing to do with tyres.

Exam trap

AWD is no excuse

AWD helps with acceleration, but NOT with braking or cornering. The winter-tyre requirement applies to all passenger cars regardless of drivetrain. Braking distance on summer tyres in winter conditions is the same whether the car is 2WD or 4WD.

Scenario

Rental car in winter conditions

You hire a car in January. It is on summer tyres and the road is covered in slush. You cannot drive it away. The person at the wheel answers for the vehicle at the roadside, and "it is a hire car" is not a defence. Worth knowing, though: the hire company is not off the hook either. Under Trafikförordningen 1 kap 5 § the owner must see that the vehicle is not used in breach, and when someone else is driving that duty survives for a short list of rules, the winter-tyre rule among them. So both of you are answerable. Only one of you is standing at the roadside. Look at the tyres before you accept the keys.

Tip

When to switch

Guideline: switch when the daytime temperature is consistently below +7 °C. Summer tyre rubber hardens then and loses grip, even on dry roads. Switching to winter tyres too early wears them out faster on warm asphalt.

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