Winter tyres in Haute-Savoie: the Mountain Law explained

Every autumn the same question comes up around Thonon, Évian and Annemasse: “Do I really have to fit winter tyres?” Short answer: yes, from 1 November to 31 March, or carry chains in the boot. Here are the details, in plain language.

Where the rule comes from

France’s “Mountain Law” of 2016 provided that vehicles in mountain areas be equipped for winter. The implementing decree came in 2020, and the obligation has applied since winter 2021-2022 in the departments concerned, including Haute-Savoie. Each prefect sets the list of communes where it applies; in Haute-Savoie it is the whole department: Thonon, Évian, Annemasse and the lakeshore are covered just like the ski resorts. If you live in Geneva and drive into France in winter, the rule applies to you as soon as you cross the border.

When

From 1 November to 31 March, every year. “B58” signs (entering the zone) and “B59” signs (leaving it) remind you at the department borders.

Which equipment counts

You comply in either of these two cases:

Option	What you need	Who it suits
Four approved winter or all-season tyres	The 3PMSF marking (three-peak mountain with a snowflake) on all four tyres	The comfortable option: nothing more to do once the tyres are fitted
Snow chains or socks in the boot	For at least two driving wheels, to be fitted as soon as the road is snow-covered	Those who drive little in winter and accept fitting chains at the roadside

One detail that matters: since 1 November 2024, the “M+S” marking alone is no longer enough. Many older all-season tyres only carry that marking. Check the sidewall: if there is no small mountain-and-snowflake pictogram, the tyre is not approved for the Mountain Law.

The rule covers cars, vans, motorhomes, trucks and coaches. Two-wheelers are exempt.

What you risk

The rules provide for a €135 fine and, in theory, immobilisation of the vehicle. The first winters were handled with leniency, with no fines issued. Check what applies this winter, but don’t think only about the fine: on a wet or snowy road at 2 °C, a winter tyre stops shorter and holds the line better than a summer tyre whose rubber has gone hard.

Winter or all-season: our advice

• You drive up to the resorts several times a season, you leave early on icy roads, you live on the heights (Neuvecelle, Bons-en-Chablais, Perrignier): winter tyres. Their rubber stays soft below 7 °C and their sipes bite into snow.
• You mostly drive in the lowlands, between Annemasse, Geneva and the lake, and you want only one set of tyres: 3PMSF all-season tyres. Legal all year, slightly less capable in deep snow.
• In both cases, four identical tyres. Fitting only two winter tyres is both illegal and dangerous: the car becomes unstable when braking.

When to fit them, when to remove them

The obligation starts on 1 November, but the real cue is temperature: below 7 °C on a lasting basis, a winter tyre outperforms a summer tyre. In the Chablais that often happens from late October. In spring, refit summer tyres once 7 °C is exceeded for good, usually in April: a winter tyre driven in summer wears fast and brakes less well.

Late-October and November slots go very fast, with us as everywhere. Book early: we supply winter and all-season tyres of all brands and fit them at your home or workplace, 7 days a week.