Winter Tyres: When to Switch and How to Spot Good Ones

As soon as temperatures drop, your car's handling changes noticeably. Winter tyres are designed exactly for this and should be fitted in good time – not only once the first snow falls, when workshop slots get tight.

The O-to-O rule of thumb

A reliable guideline is the O-to-O rule: winter tyres belong on the car from October to Easter ("O bis O" – October to Ostern/Easter). What ultimately matters is the temperature, not the calendar: summer tyres noticeably harden and lose grip below around 7°C, while the softer rubber compound of winter tyres only reaches its full effect at these temperatures. Germany also has a situational winter-tyre requirement – in black ice, slush, hoarfrost or freezing rain, suitably marked tyres must be fitted. Suitable tyres are identified by the Alpine symbol, the snowflake within the mountain pictogram on the sidewall.

How to spot good tyres

Not every winter tyre sitting in your garage is still roadworthy. Check the following before fitting:

• Tread depth: the legal minimum is 1.6 mm, but for winter tyres at least 4 mm is recommended, so that water and slush are reliably channelled away through the sipes.
• Age: the manufacturing date appears as a four-digit DOT number on the tyre sidewall, for example "2521" for week 25 of 2021. Even with sufficient tread, the rubber compound hardens over time and loses grip – as a rule, winter tyres should be replaced after about six to eight years.
• Damage: cracks in the sidewall, bulges, or embedded nails and screws are reason for immediate replacement, regardless of age.

Storing and changing them properly

Storage during the warm season matters too: if you store your tyres yourself, keep them upright or hanging on their rims, in a cool, dry and, ideally, dark place, to protect the rubber compound and prevent fading.

If that's too much hassle, we handle both the seasonal wheel change and tyre storage for you here in Teltow – including a quick visual check of tread depth, age and damage, so you get through winter safely.

We're happy to check this for you here in Teltow.