Poland: When usually is the best time to change from summer to winter tyres?

Start a law suit against BAT (British American Tobacco) mofo. Thats all i have to say on the matter. Friggen winter tyres i ask you.....

I spent a night on the motorway here once after that happened to me - the rain started coming down, I decided to stop for a coffee (it was about midnight) while waiting for it to pass. Turned out that it was a full on storm and the rain was going to come down for a long, long time - so climbed in the back and went to sleep for a few hours. Sure, I could've continued - but it just wasn't worth it. The wind was blowing heavily, the rain was lashing down - and I didn't fancy driving 60km more in such conditions.

Worth pointing out that I had a 7 hour exam that day in Berlin and had spent a few hours after it fooling around in Frankfurt (Oder) - sleepiness and stormy weather was just not a good mix at all.

No they can't. They will try to use this excuse. Then you take them to court and win. End of story.


Great advice. Ride around on winter tires for another month or two when it's 10-20 degrees. Oh wait, it's Wroclaw Boy, never mind.

Anyways, you use winter tires because of ambient air temperature, not snow.

Why? Every single insurance policy will have a clause regarding the roadworthiness of the vehicle. Mine certainly does - and using summer tyres in diabolical winter conditions certainly means that the car isn't roadworthy.

As for taking them to court - the Polish courts, really? The system that comes up with insane judgements every day based not on facts, but on the whims of the court?

If someone owes you money and it's clear, the Polish courts are fine. But in a case like this?

Merged: 4WD/winter tyres

Am I going to need 4WD for the inclement weather or will a saloon with suitable tyres suffice? Cheers

Normal saloon equipped with winter tyres is OK

For where you're going to be, 2WD with winter tyres will be more than good enough. Provided that you don't drive like an utter moron of course. But then if you do drive like an utter moron, 4WD won't be enough anyway.

The winter tyres are working well on snow only.
My rule of the thumb is: If there is snow lying for the four days in a row - I change the tyres for winter ones.

Front wheel drive though, rear wheel drive cars are a nightmare on snow and ice. I always got the best traction from little front wheel drive cars like Corsas for example.

No. Roadworthiness (i.e, having a valid inspection/MOT) is determined by having a valid badanie techniczny. And you probably know how worthless that is. Nonetheless, there is no law or case law or regulation that one should use winter tires in "winter conditions" in PL From what I remember, there are only two laws in Poland that cover tires: the first is on minimum tread depth and the second on using two tires of similar make/model on one axle. If you meet both requirements, you are "roadworthy". Other normal counties that do not have laws on the mandatory use of winter tires still include a clause that finds drivers at fault for not using them (Switzerland 100%, as I, but even in those countries you could probably go to court and win.

I personally believe that people who don't switch to winter tires and use summer or all-season tires are outright idiots and ought to be shot on sight, but unfortunately that's the way it is.


No. A common and dangerous misconception. Again, winter tires are called winter tires and not snow tires for a damn good reason.

I once tried driving around Zakopane in a Mitsubishi Shogun Mk11 with part time/ full time 4wd etc. The snow had only started falling (in November I believe), and I was totally confident, despite only having summer tyres, in my jeep's ability to maneuver around uninhibited by the 10 - 15cm of snow. This misguided belief was immediately put to rest by the second corner, where I

completely lost control and banged into a Fiat Punto (which had also lost control). My overriding memory is of some woman attempting to 'stop' my 2 tonne jeep sliding along the snow and then jumping out of the way at the last moment. Lesson learned, I drove back, like a handicapped snail, and bought a set of winter tyres. I left these tyres on through the summer season too, but I think the rubber compound is a lot softer than on summer tyres, hence they wore out quicker.

And there you have it, how 90% of drivers think, and act, on the road.