The State Automobile Inspectorate is holding the campaign "Winter Tires – Safety for Your Car!"

"Winter Tires – Safety for Your Car" is the name of a nationwide preventive campaign held from November 25 to December 5, aimed at preventing road accidents during the winter period and promoting the use of winter tires.

According to the Traffic Regulations of Belarus, from December 1 to March 1, vehicles participating in road traffic must be equipped with winter tires. This requirement applies to vehicles with a technically permissible gross weight of up to 3.5 tons, passenger cars and cargo-passenger vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons, as well as buses weighing up to 5 tons.

Winter tires must have: a tread depth of at least 4 mm, a marking in the form of a mountain peak with three peaks and a snowflake inside it, or the signs "M+S", "M&S", "M.S", "M S" or "All seasons".

The State Automobile Inspectorate recommends that drivers do not wait until December 1 and prepare their vehicles for operation in winter weather conditions in advance.

Failure to use winter tires on a vehicle entails a warning or administrative liability in the form of a fine of up to 0.5 basic units.

If winter tires are installed on a vehicle, but the residual tread depth is less than 4 mm, a warning or a fine of up to 1 basic unit is provided. A repeated violation of this kind within a year will result in a fine of 2 to 5 basic units.

For allowing a vehicle with wheel and tire malfunctions to participate in road traffic, the person responsible for its technical condition or operation will be subject to administrative liability in the form of a fine ranging from 4 to 6 basic units.

Alexander Orekhov, Head of the State Automobile Inspectorate of the District Executive Committee's Internal Affairs Department