Are winter tires obligatory?

There is no general law in the Alps requiring vehicles to have winter tires. However, if your vehicle is not properly equipped for snowy conditions and breaks down, you may still be held responsible.

In practice, this means the police can intervene if your vehicle creates a dangerous situation for other road users or causes a traffic jam. The fact that a vehicle is “not appropriately equipped” can also be taken into account when determining liability in the event of an accident. Therefore, driving without winter tires is at the driver’s own risk.