Time To Change Your Winter Tires – Or Else

Today is the last day you can drive on studded tires without getting slapped with a fine.

Vísir reports that starting tomorrow, police in the capital area and South Iceland will begin pulling over and fining people who are still driving on studded tires.

If you hit the road tomorrow with studded tires still on your vehicle, you could be looking at a 20,000 ISK fine. By contrast, driving while talking or otherwise using your phone will only get you a 5,000 ISK fine.

Studded tires are designed for driving in icy conditions. While the weather in the southern part of Iceland right now might not be exactly summery, there is little if any ice left on public roads. As such, driving on these roads with studded tires not only increases the erosion of asphalt, it also contributes to air pollution in the form of the particles studded tires kick up.

With this in mind, please consider the expense of maintaining our roads, as well as the air quality we all enjoy in Iceland, and change to summer tires before tomorrow.