Road Traffic Office inspection

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
Hello

I just purchased a car from Germany. All import is done. I received also the 13.20 A form.

So, do I have to do another check of the car at cantonal Road Traffic Office? Do you know is I need to have winter tires ( as is January) to get the swiss plates?

2
Snow tires are not a requirement anywhere in Switzerland. But it is highly recommended by the authorities and the even more knowledgeable EF forums, that you have them fitted.

3
No keep the summer tyres on, it might tempt snow to actually land here.

4
What is the title/name of Form 13.20A ?

5

13.20 is a basis for MFK, get an MFK slot, they will fillout 13.20 then you take that and get swiss plates with this (need to have swiss insurance!)

6

If you have an accident in the winter on summer tires you are 99% of the time "at fault" as you would be considered to be not properly equipped for prevailing conditions (this is a catch all phrase)

Winter tires are not obligatory in Switzerland, anywhere, it has no bearing on the test providing your summer tires are legal.

7
But don’t drive into neighbouring France

8
Thank you all for the answers.

We will not use this new car when it ́s going to be snow. We have another one.

As weather is so strange now I don ́t want to buy yet the snow tires.

9
You should buy All Season tires. Summer/Winter tires are a thing of the past unless you leave on a mountain.

10
That has been disproved many times here on EF. Do a search.

11
I use them for years, and they work fine.

Tom

12

Total rubbish !

By the way having 2 sets of tires just means they wear out half as quickly as normal tires

13
If you assume a set of tires lasts 4 years you pay once to fit all season tires and 8 times for summer/winter not to mention the extra set of wheels.

I used to have 2 sets but my new car came with All Season and I am extremely happy with this setup.

14
So long as the temperature is over 6C then you have a good counterargument that your car is properly equipped.

15

Could be a serious problem with the insurance company when making a claim. Most of all, one is playing with lives.

16
Using all seasons no doubt would be less expensive over time. But, in winter, they don’t have the same traction or stopping ability. In summer they don’t grip as well.

Your money, or your life.

17
All season are fine they are what they are, a compromise between 2 sorts, so neither the best nor the worst option, but there are far better options available, especially if you live above 600m or go skiing a lot.

18
Garbage.

Few people use tires to their limits, so it doesn't matter in real life.

Tom

P.S. I used to with motorcycle tires, using racing tires on the street, but those days are over.

19
Probably less than that, considering how hot asphalt can get in the summer(*).

That's quite the point. Tom's Sottoceneri conditions, where fresh snow hardly every survives more than one day even in the very rare cases where it manages to get white in the first place, doesn't really compare to areas with snow all winter long.

And then, some will need to consider regulations abroad. France for instance has mandatory winter tyres IIRC. Austria has the same in case of wintery conditions.

ETA:

(*) To clarify, hot asphalt will wear the all-seasons down faster than the better suited summer tyres.

20
Proper all-seasons have the three mountain peak and snowflake symbol which means that they are in the eye of the law snow tires.