Most drivers wait for the first frost to change tyres

Most Estonian drivers are delaying their switch to winter tyres until temperatures fall below zero, despite mechanics warning that summer tyres lose grip at around 7 degrees Celsius, ERR reports. Workshops in Tartu are ready for the seasonal rush, and winter tyres will be needed in a couple of weeks.

Appointments are still available, including for the same day or the next, mechanics said. “People are already coming in to change their tyres, but you can still get a slot during the day,” said Mihhail Mayastrishin, owner of the A-velg workshop.

Pärt Loskit, owner of the Tiremarket tyre centre, said business was quieter than at the same time last year, when snow was already on the ground. Kevin, a tyre fitter at Rehvidtartus24, said drivers living outside Tartu face overnight frosts and potentially slippery roads. He advised changing tyres before the first sleet.

Workshops in Tartu have seen fewer customers over the past year, as the rising cost of living has led some people to change tyres at home or with a neighbour. Loskit said customers who do the job themselves can run into problems with bolts tightened too firmly or with wheel balancing.

Prices for cheaper tyres have risen by nearly half this year following tariffs on Chinese tyres.