In the last couple of days, the snow has fallen over large parts of southern Norway. A new low pressure is on the way and a good supply of snow is expected in Eastern and Southern Norway. By Friday evening, another 40 centimeters of snow could fall, according to meteorologist on duty Håkon Mjelstad. A lot of snow is expected in Aust-Sørlandet on Friday. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute has issued a yellow and orange warning. Illustration: Meteorological Institute The large amount of snow has caused traffic challenges. Plowing manager in Bærum municipality thinks more people should choose winter tires with spikes. Can make smooth roads smoother – When people brake in front of, for example, a speed bump or a roundabout with studless tires, the road can become smoother, says plowing manager in Bærum municipality Christian Strandenæs to news. It was Budstikka who first mentioned the case. Head of plowing in Bærum municipality: Christian Strandenæs. Photo: Privat Stud-free tires can polish the surface when the tire is working to find a grip. This can make slippery or icy roads worse. The plow manager believes that the problem is also about people not driving according to the conditions. – Some people forget to adjust their speed according to the conditions, and drive as if it wasn’t smooth outside. They brake too late and too hard. See video of how the subway is being plowed. Studded tax in several Norwegian cities Several Norwegian cities have introduced a studded tire tax. The studded tire fee is an environmental measure whose aim is to improve air quality in cities by reducing the number of vehicles with studded tyres. Studded tires create wear and tear on the wheels, which leads to airborne dust, which in turn results in poorer air quality. In the capital, only 9 percent drive with spikes. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB It is planned that all motorists must pay. The prices in Oslo for vehicles up to 3,500 kg are: NOK 35 for a daily pass NOK 450 for a monthly pass NOK 1,400 for a seasonal pass Rune Gjøs in the Urban Environment Agency in Oslo municipality believes the best solution is to avoid using studded tires if you can. – To be sharp or not to be sharp is not the most important question on a day like this. We want to have a road network that is accessible both to those who use and do not use studded tyres, Gjøs says. 30 percent use studded tires The National Road Administration keeps statistics on how many people drive with studded tires in selected urban areas in Norway. Tala shows that in southern Norway it is most popular to drive stud-free. Figures from 2020 show that only 9 per cent of vehicles in Oslo had studded tyres, while the corresponding figure in Tromsø was as much as 83 per cent. Industry figures from the tire manufacturer Nokian, which is one of the largest tire players nationally, show that around 30 per cent of the winter tires sold in Norway in 2022 were studded tyres. – Drive according to the conditions and keep your distance NAF says it is difficult to give advice on which tires to use now. – The reason is that the tread varies greatly and that studless tires on certain surfaces give good grip, while on other surfaces they give worse grip than what you would get with studded tyres, says Jan Harry Svendsen in NAF. He says the most important thing for motorists is that they choose tires that best meet their needs and that are suitable for the surface they primarily drive on. – Some of the most important things when the road is as it is, is to adapt the speed and drive according to the conditions, adds Svendsen. Many people at Majorstua in Oslo followed the exhortation from the police to leave the car. Photo: Magnus Midtun / news Even the police are not as clear as the plow manager when it comes to advice on the choice of tyres. – The police encourage you to drive according to the conditions, keep a good distance and have good winter tires – with or without studs, says section leader in Oslo police district Frode Andreassen. – Consider whether it is necessary to drive a car on the days when the driving conditions are difficult, he adds.
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Plowing manager Christian Strandenæs thinks more people should choose studded tires for winter driving – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
