The Ministry of Transport Recalls the Obligation for Snow Tyres in 34 Departments

Road safety: Snow, frost… To hit the road, in 34 departments, the Ministry of Transport recalls the obligation for snow tyres

You may have forgotten it, but with it winter, snow who shows up even on the plains or even the frost that lurks at every turn, it is better to equip his vehicle with suitable tires, as the Ministry of Transport points out, while France is experiencing its first week of winter conditions. It has also been compulsory since the 1st November for vehicles traveling in mountainous municipalities in 34 departments. They must be equipped with winter tyres, snow chains or snow socks, the Ministry of Transportation.

All vehicles are affected

You don’t recognize them? Don’t panic. Winter tyres are marked with the 3PMSF (three peak mountain snow flake) standard, and they are required until March 31 all light vehicles, utility vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, coaches, buses and motorhomes in these areas, indicates the ministry in Thursday’s presentation of its 2025 system winter viability. 3PMSF tires are identifiable by the presence of the marking of an “alpine symbol”, illustrated by a mountain with 3 peaks containing a snowflake.

The municipalities in the mountainous areas concerned by this obligation, located in Corsica, in the Alps, the Massif Central, the Jura, the Vosges and the Pyrenees are defined by prefectural decree and indicated by road signs. They are also accessible on the Road Safety website.

The weather dictates it

A necessity all the more so since according to Météo-france, the arrival of a polar air mass with temperatures below seasonal norms leads to an increase in winter phenomena this week, with a risk of snow and ice. Saturday should be the coldest day with -1 °C in Paris, -4 °C in Le Mans and Clermont-Ferrand, -6 °C in Nancy. The Weather Channel warns that the snow could go down to the plains while the massifs will experience a “substantial new contribution, in particular the Pyrenees”. “This winter sequence, classic but marked for the month of November, requires increased vigilance over the entire south-eastern quarter and mountain areas, where cold, snow and wind will combine to produce traffic conditions sometimes difficult”, adds the news channel.

The essential points:

Since the 1st November and until the 31st March, winter equipment is compulsory for all vehicles traveling in the mountainous municipalities of 34 French departments.
Winter tyres are marked with the 3PMSF (three peak mountain snow flake) standard, and their obligation applies until March 31 for all light vehicles, utility vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, coaches, buses and motorhomes in these areas
France is experiencing its first week of winter conditions with the arrival of a polar air mass which will cause particularly cold temperatures on Saturday (-1°C in Paris, -4°C in Le Mans and Clermont-Ferrand, -6°C in Nancy).