Tires

Prepare for the winter by changing to winter tires already before the conditions turn slippery.

Adjust your driving speed according to road and weather conditions.

Tyres used in winter

If the weather or road conditions so warrant, winter tyres (marked M+S) must be used in November, December, January, February and March. The depth of the main tread on the tyres must be a minimum of 3.0 mm in the following vehicles:

1. Passenger car with a gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tons;

2. Van;

3. Special vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tons;

4. Motorcycle, moped, tricycle, quadricycle, heavy quadricycle and light quadricycle;

5. Trailer with an axle mass or connected mass between 0.75 and 3.5 tons on a vehicle specified in items 1–4.

A passenger car, motorcycle, moped, tricycle, quadricycle, heavy quadricycle, light quadricycle and a tractor with a design speed of more than 60 km/h, and a towed vehicle attached to such a vehicle may use studded tyres from the beginning of November to the end of March and whenever the weather or road conditions so require.

Fluids

Make sure that the cooling liquid is suitable for Finnish winter. Usually the engine space has a sticker stating the temperature in which the cooling liquid can be used safely without freezing. Also, the windscreen washer liquid can freeze; this means that special anti-freeze agent has to be used in windscreen washer storage tank.

The car doors may freeze shut. Grease the door seals with silicon.

Engine preheating

Using an engine heater helps when starting a cold engine and reduces engine wear, exhaust emissions and fuel consumption. The time that engines should be preheated depends on the temperature conditions.

Winter equipment for a car

Winter equipment for a car includes:

• towrope

• a brush with a long handle and an ice scraper

• a small shovel

• a flashlight