Previously, the requirement was that heavy vehicles should have winter tires on the drive shaft - requirements that were tightened with the new law that came into force on June 1 this year. The new rules mean that all heavy duty vehicles must have winter tires or similar equipment on all wheels between the first of December and the last of March, or during the time of winter road law. That is, periods when there is snow, ice, snowmelt or frost on any part of the road.

From Sweden's haulage company, you agree that winter tires are good, but you are not as convinced that the new rules will have a major impact on accident statistics.

- It is clear that it is good to have winter tires, but it does not give the big effect on all the tires it does on the driving shaft and there have been there even before. And we do not think that the new law will really have the effect that one expects it to have, says Carina Ahlfeldt, regional manager of the trade organization Sweden's haulage company north.

Too much confidence

Although the new rules also apply to vehicles registered abroad that operate in Sweden, the industry organization believes that the legislators place too much confidence in the fact that winter tires will reduce the accidents. Here it is rather meant that it is the major problem that is a certain type of vehicle combination, short tractors with a trailer or so-called EU trailers.

- The EU trailers that follow our roads and who come in from Europe are not good combinations to have on slippery surfaces. They react to kid's hair like a trap knife in slipping. And there we know that winter tires will not make that much difference, says Carina Ahlfeldt.

This spring, the Swedish Transport Administration was commissioned by the Government to investigate how road safety can be increased with regard to EU trailers and the investigation should be completed in the summer of 2020.