“Here comes winter. Here comes the cold, nice time,” sing Jokke & Valentinerne. But the fact that winter is on the way also means: slippery roads, snow and changing tyres. But what do you have to look out for, and do you know what the tire rules are? Thord Paulsen is a car salvager and known from the TV series Vinterveiens helter on National Geographic with more than 150 million viewers from all over the world. He has experienced and seen most things on Norwegian roads. Together with Jan Rune Presttun, who is the professional group leader for outdoor inspections in the Norwegian Road Administration, they give you eight good tips: Good tires – It is important to have proper tires in winter. Tires are fresh produce, says Thord Paulsen. The rubber in the tires gets worse the older they are. Therefore, check that the tire is in good condition before replacing it. They should not be more than five or six years old. From 1 November, the requirement is that the tread depth must be a minimum of 3 millimeters regardless of the type of tire you have on the car. – A little trick is to take a piece of crown and see where there is a ring on it. Then you can place it under the groove in the tire. If it goes up to the ring, you have 4 millimeters in any case, says Presstun. A workshop or petrol station can also help you check. Preferably use a crown piece to check the tread depth in the tyre. Photo: Tale Hauso / news Change your tires in time – The cold temperatures come suddenly, so it is important to change them in time, says Paulsen. You can use winter tires without studs all year round, but there are separate rules if you have studs. If you live in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, you can use studded tires from 16 October to 30 April. The rest of the country can use studded tires from and including 1 November up to and including the first Sunday after Easter Sunday. – If the road where you will be driving is demanding and bad, then it is permissible to use studded tires and chains outside of these dates. Let’s get ahead of the date, says Presttun. Thord Paulsen is a car mechanic in Hardanger. He has seen most of it. Photo: Tale Hauso / news Slow down The tires on cars are now wider, while the weight of the cars is less. With wider tyres, you float more on the road, and don’t have as good contact with the ground. – Then it is easy to sail out of the roadway, and one therefore has to adjust the speed according to the lead, says Paulsen. He sees that there are most accidents in the winter, when there is a bit of slush and a bit of snow, and that the biggest mistake is that people drive too fast. – It doesn’t help to be called Martin Schanche or Thord Paulsen. If the speed becomes too high, then you don’t have a chance, says Paulsen. Take brake tests Paulsen suggests taking a few brake tests when you are out driving. – You can drive on a road that is 500 meters above sea level. and the car sits like a rock. But then you drive down 200 meters and the temperature there is completely different. It can be very smooth there, he says. The black asphalt also means that you cannot see if there are crystals in the road. It could be ice cream, even if it doesn’t look like it. Thord Paulsen in Vinterveien’s helter on National Geographic TV. Photo: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TV / ITV STUDIOS NORWAY AS Don’t trust the temperature gauge Paulsen advises motorists not to rely too much on the temperature gauges in their cars. – They often sit in such a way that today’s cars get a little heat from the engine. When it has been cold on the ground, raining, a bit cloudy and 5-6 degrees, it can suddenly clear up and stars appear in the sky. – Then there can be ice on the road straight away, he says. Food and warm clothes If you are going over a mountain pass, it is important to have plenty of clothes and plenty of food in the car. – Suddenly you can be standing on the mountain for a long time, says Paulsen. It is important to have plenty of fuel in the car or that your electric car is well charged. Read the instruction manual when changing the tire If you are going to change the tire yourself, it is important to have the right equipment. A jack to lift the car and a wheel wrench or nut driver to loosen the bolts. Presstun in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration recommends always reading the instruction manual in the car. – It says how to do it and whether there should be torque, says Presstun. Air pressure and re-tightening When you have changed your tyres, there is a small checklist: Check the air pressure in all tyres. The correct air pressure to use is usually written on the door pillar of your car. Also remember to always re-tighten the bolts. – I have picked up many people who have had a loose wheel on their car, so it is important to re-tighten, says Paulsen in the end. At the workshop in Odda, many people are changing tires now. Apprentice Tobias Osaland is in a hurry. Photo: Tale Hauso / news
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