Road safety: keep your lights on and don’t forget to change your tires!

Road safety: keep your lights on and don’t forget to change your tires!

In recent weeks, the police in Bremerhaven have increasingly emphasized the importance of functioning vehicle lighting. Good lighting is crucial to avoid accidents, especially in the dark season when visibility is often difficult. The recommendation is that all vehicle drivers always drive with their lights on while driving, regardless of the time of day or year.

It is particularly important that the lighting is adapted to the weather and visibility conditions. The preset daytime running lights are often not enough because the rear lights of many vehicles are not activated. Therefore, the experts recommend activating the low beam headlights manually and not relying on the automatic function. Before you start your journey, you should also check for possible lighting defects.

Road conditions in winter

Weather conditions play a special role during the cold months. The roads are often covered with leaves or even ice, which can severely affect the vehicle's grip. When it is wet or snowy, the road surface often becomes slippery, which leads to unexpectedly long braking distances. The police therefore appeal to all drivers to adapt their driving behavior to the road conditions and to exercise caution.

Another important topic is the tires on the vehicles. Drivers who still use summer tires should consider switching to winter tires in good time. As soon as temperatures fall below 7°C, the rubber of summer tires loses its elasticity and the grip is significantly reduced. This can result in dangerous situations, especially if road conditions suddenly change.

The road traffic regulations also stipulate that winter tires must be used in black ice, snow or similar conditions. While there is no set period for using winter tires, a general rule of thumb is October to Easter. It is important to note that only tires marked with the Alpine symbol (mountain pictogram with snowflake) are considered suitable for winter. All-weather or all-season tires with the old “M+S” marking are no longer permitted.

In summary, both visibility through functioning vehicle lights and the right tires are crucial to driving safely through the winter. It remains to be seen how drivers will respond to these recommendations and whether this will lead to a reduction in accidents during the cold months. For further information on road safety and current regulations www.presseportal.de be consulted.