When should I fit summer tyres?

The winter tyre requirement ends on 1 March, but in practice wait until daily average temperatures stay above roughly +7 °C and the risk of night frost has passed. In Estonian conditions that usually means April. In March the roads are often still frosty or icy in the morning, and a summer tyre is dangerous then. Studded tyres must come off by 31 March regardless.

Can I drive on winter tyres in summer?

On studless (friction) tyres you legally can — there is no seasonal limit on them. On studded tyres you cannot: they are only allowed from 15 October to 31 March. Even where it is legal it is not sensible: the soft compound wears quickly on a warm road, braking distances are longer and fuel consumption is higher, so the money saved on a tyre change is spent on tyres that wear out sooner.

How quickly does a winter tyre wear in summer?

There is no single figure, because wear depends on the compound, the tread and how you drive, but a winter tyre wears noticeably faster on warm asphalt than a summer tyre. The reason is the compound: it is built soft to stay flexible in the cold, and heat makes it softer still. One warm summer can take enough tread off a winter tyre to leave it below the legal winter minimum by the following season.

What is the minimum tread depth for a summer tyre?

The legal minimum is 1.6 mm. That is an absolute floor rather than a recommendation: by about 3 mm water clearance is already noticeably worse and the risk of aquaplaning rises. If you plan long motorway trips or drive a lot in the rain, consider replacing the tyre well before the legal limit. Tread depth can be checked with an inexpensive gauge or measured at a workshop.

When to switch to summer tyres? The spring tyre change

The spring change mirrors the autumn one: the law gives you a date, but the weather decides the right moment. A winter tyre wears fast on warm asphalt and grips a dry road less well than a summer tyre, so waiting too long costs you both rubber and braking distance. Here is what the law allows and when the change makes practical sense.

What the law allows in spring

In Estonia winter tyres are mandatory from 1 December to 1 March. From 2 March they are no longer required, but you may keep them on — the law does not force an immediate spring change.

Studded tyres carry a restriction of their own: they may only be used from 15 October to 31 March. Before 15 October and after 31 March studded tyres may not be driven on at all, unless the window has been extended by regulation because of road conditions. Studless (friction) winter tyres carry no such limit and may legally be used all year, though it is not advisable.

The legal minimum tread depth for a summer tyre is 1.6 mm. That is an absolute floor at which wet grip is already badly compromised, so plan the replacement well before it.

Why a winter tyre does not belong on a summer road

A winter tyre compound is deliberately soft so it stays flexible in the cold. On a warm road that same compound becomes too soft: the car responds to the wheel more sluggishly, braking distances stretch and the tread wears noticeably faster than a summer tyre would. Rolling resistance is higher too, which shows up as slightly higher fuel consumption.

Do not leave it too late either: workshop queues peak at the end of April. Book a slot early at /service and leave the winter set with us for storage.

Once it is around +7 °C and the risk of night frost has passed, it is worth thinking about the change. In Estonia that usually means April rather than early March.

Usein kysytyt kysymykset

When should I fit summer tyres?: The winter tyre requirement ends on 1 March, but in practice wait until daily average temperatures stay above roughly +7 °C and the risk of night frost has passed. In Estonian conditions that usually means April. In March the roads are often still frosty or icy in the morning, and a summer tyre is dangerous then. Studded tyres must come off by 31 March regardless.
Can I drive on winter tyres in summer?: On studless (friction) tyres you legally can — there is no seasonal limit on them. On studded tyres you cannot: they are only allowed from 15 October to 31 March. Even where it is legal it is not sensible: the soft compound wears quickly on a warm road, braking distances are longer and fuel consumption is higher, so the money saved on a tyre change is spent on tyres that wear out sooner.
How quickly does a winter tyre wear in summer?: There is no single figure, because wear depends on the compound, the tread and how you drive, but a winter tyre wears noticeably faster on warm asphalt than a summer tyre. The reason is the compound: it is built soft to stay flexible in the cold, and heat makes it softer still. One warm summer can take enough tread off a winter tyre to leave it below the legal winter minimum by the following season.
What is the minimum tread depth for a summer tyre?: The legal minimum is 1.6 mm. That is an absolute floor rather than a recommendation: by about 3 mm water clearance is already noticeably worse and the risk of aquaplaning rises. If you plan long motorway trips or drive a lot in the rain, consider replacing the tyre well before the legal limit. Tread depth can be checked with an inexpensive gauge or measured at a workshop.