The year has now arrived at the “O” again, this is an important moment in the calendar, whether spring or autumn. Whenever the “O” hovers over everything, the telephones in the car repair shops no longer stand still. Everyone wants an appointment to change their tires, whether this week or next week, as quickly as possible. In October it is high time that the cold is creeping in, although it is now closer to the end of October. And people can’t wait for Easter: sunglasses on, summer tires on, let’s head towards summer.
Now, contrary to some assumptions, the rule “from O to O” has no legal relevance whatsoever. Winter tires are mandatory if the car slides more than it drives without them, in mud, snow or ice. After all, frost can surprise you more quickly than summer tires would like, which is why the testing organization Dekra, for example, gives well-intentioned tips for the safe transport of winter tires.
Get out of the garage, basement or shed and into the workshop. Under no circumstances, the experts emphasize, do the wheels belong in the back seat. The right place is the trunk, and not just anywhere, especially not on the loading sill – but as close as possible to the back seat. If there is a gap, the 15 to 20 kilo tires could be thrown forward during emergency braking. As long as the summer tires still have grip. And that would result in serious injuries. The best thing to do, since nothing can go wrong, is to handle such a high-security transport with lashing straps. Police protection is not yet provided.
Many thanks for the tips, say the owners of convertibles and small cars with barely any trunks. If you think you still don’t need an SUV, it’s best to have the wheels stored at a specialist company. However, the Dekra experts overlooked a security gap.
In Neu-Ulm, a 59-year-old recently wanted to have her stored winter tires fitted. But the tires were gone – and so was the workshop. The Schwaben Süd/West police headquarters announced that the car repair shop had been “cleared out and no longer existed”. The woman has now filed a complaint for embezzlement. For now, she’s hoping for a mix of sun and temperatures above freezing.