Since the beginning of this week, it is allowed to drive on the roads of Latvia only in cars equipped with tires suitable for winter conditions. Whether drivers comply with this requirement is checked in special raids. Yesterday's raid in the vicinity of Jelgava revealed a troubling picture — in three hours, eight cars with unsuitable tires were detained. Two cars had such a low tread depth that their license plates were removed, and they could only continue their journey on a tow truck, reports TV3 News.
Despite the fact that the air temperature and weather conditions resemble early spring rather than winter, the requirements remain unchanged — from December 1, all passenger cars must be equipped with winter tires. Control over this is carried out by representatives of the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD) in conjunction with the State Police.
Before the arrival of the TV3 filming crew, one of the cars had already lost its license plates and had its technical inspection annulled due to the critical condition of its tires. Soon, the situation repeated itself.
A BMW was stopped with a winter tire tread depth of less than 3 mm. The car was stripped of its license plates, and it could only continue its journey with the help of a tow truck.
The driver, Kristofers, indicated that he was not particularly concerned:
"I don’t know how it happened. [TV3: Is it upsetting?] Not really. [TV3: Will it be a lesson?] Doubtful. I don’t pay attention to such things. When I need to, I change them; when I don’t need to, I don’t change them."
Over time, a whole queue of cars with violations formed along the roadside. Two Volvos joined the black BMW — both had a tread depth of less than 4 mm. This means that the license plates remained, but the cars must undergo a repeat technical inspection.
"I didn’t even notice. I recently had a technical inspection, but I somehow missed the date — December 1…" – reflected the driver, Janis.
"I don’t know how to respond. Probably, if it’s too little, then it’s little. All complaints go to my husband. [TV3: Did you have no idea?] No, not at all. Apparently, I need to put something more reliable for winter," – said the driver, Kristine.
Alongside the tire checks, the police also checked documents. The overall picture turned out to be discouraging — violations were found in almost every fourth vehicle.
"The picture is not cheerful. Out of 60 vehicles — 14 violations. Six cars had their technical inspections annulled, and two had their license plates removed due to dangerous violations: insufficient tread depth, which threatens both others and the driver himself. A driver without the necessary category of license was also identified. Vehicles that were deregistered were found participating in traffic without insurance, as well as without technical inspection," – said police officer Alexander.
Regarding the tires, he emphasizes: despite the absence of snow in Zemgale, the weather conditions are deceptive — black ice can form. Therefore, every driver needs to ensure that their tires meet the requirements: "From personal experience — even 4 mm is already dangerous. Such tires become hard; they are old, and they lack millimeters."
The police and CSDD also remind: it is important to check the age of the tires — driving on tires older than 5–6 years is not recommended, as the rubber loses its properties. Raids will continue throughout the winter.
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