Skip to content

Insurance broker / Insurance questions / Car insurance

Am I insured if I drive on winter tyres in summer?

In short

Am I insured if I drive on winter tyres in summer? Yes. In Germany there is no ban and no fine for it, and your liability insurance pays for damage to others. Because braking takes longer on warm roads, your share of the blame may rise, and comprehensive cover (Vollkasko) may cut payment for gross negligence. A missing speed sticker costs EUR 5.

Am I insured if I drive on winter tyres in summer?

What it costs

Published fines and tyre costs, as of 2025 and 2026.

ExampleTypical range
Winter tyres in summer as suchEUR 0, no offence
Speed sticker missingEUR 5
Faster than the tyres are rated forEUR 25
Speed index too low, with danger to trafficEUR 90 and 1 point
Four new tyres with fitting, depending on brandabout EUR 395 to 1,100

As of November 2026, from fines tables, garage prices and an ADAC braking test.

The damage amounts and the cut in the worked example are a guide value from our quoting practice;

courts decide case by case.

We check whether your policy waives the gross negligence defence and obtain the exact quote.

Worked example

Rear-end collision in August on worn winter tyres

A driver brakes too late behind the end of a traffic jam at 30 degrees and hits the car in front. Her winter tyres have 2 mm of tread left. She has comprehensive cover with a EUR 300 deductible.

Damage to the car in front, paid by liabilityabout EUR 4,000
Damage to her own carabout EUR 5,000
Comprehensive cover without a cutEUR 4,700 paid
Comprehensive cover cut by a quarterabout EUR 3,500 paid
Comprehensive cover with gross negligence waiverEUR 4,700 paid

Liability pays the other driver in any case. On her own car she is left with about EUR 1,500 after a cut, and with a waiver in the policy only the deductible. Calculation with guide values.

No ban, no fine

Germany requires winter tyres in icy or snowy conditions, but there is no duty to fit summer tyres in summer. If you postpone the spring tyre change or skip it altogether, you are driving legally as long as the tread is at least 1.6 mm deep. Section 36(3) of the German vehicle registration rules (StVZO) requires this for every car.

It only costs money if the tyres are rated for a lower speed than your car can reach. Then section 36(5) StVZO requires a sticker or display in your field of view showing the maximum tyre speed. Many people forget the sticker when the winter tyres stay on over summer and the windscreen has been replaced or cleaned.

OffenceFinePoints
Speed sticker for the tyres missingEUR 5none
Driving faster than the tyres allowEUR 25none
Tyres with too low a speed index, type approval lapsedEUR 50none
The same with danger to trafficEUR 901

What liability insurance pays

If you cause a rear-end collision on winter tyres in July, your motor liability insurance pays the other driver. Under section 103 of the Insurance Contract Act (VVG) it is only free from liability if you caused the damage intentionally. The wrong tyres are not intent.

The tyres can, however, raise your share of the blame. If it is clear that you would have stopped in time on summer tyres, that counts against you. In an accident that would have happened with any tyres, they play no role. Your no-claims class drops the same way after a liability claim in both cases.

When comprehensive cover may cut

Damage to your own car is paid by comprehensive cover. If you cause the accident through gross negligence, section 81(2) VVG lets the insurer cut payment in line with the degree of your fault. There is no blanket all or nothing.

The insurer must prove gross negligence and justify the size of the cut. It has to show that the winter tyres actually caused or worsened the accident. That is easier with worn winter tyres on a hot, wet road than with nearly new tyres on a dry one. There is no fixed rule on when winter tyres in summer count as grossly negligent.

If your policy waives the gross negligence defence, comprehensive cover pays in full in this case too. Typically only intent and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs remain excluded.

Why braking takes longer

Winter tyres have a soft rubber compound and deep sipes. On warm tarmac they give way, the tyres flex and grip under braking drops. The ADAC tested this in 2025 from 100 km/h on a dry road: when the car on summer tyres had stopped, the one on winter tyres was still doing about 37 km/h.

Wear adds to this. If you drive on winter tyres all year, they wear faster, and next winter you lack the tread you need on snow.

When it is still a reasonable choice

If you rarely drive a second car, or the tyre change is due in a few weeks anyway, the risk is manageable. Drive more calmly, keep more distance and check the speed sticker.

If you drive little but would otherwise have to change tyres twice a year, all-season tyres with the Alpine symbol are often a better fit. They are a compromise in summer but legal in winter, and there is no changeover.

Step by step

  1. Check whether your winter tyres are rated slower than your car and the sticker is in your field of view.
  2. Measure the tread and consider whether the tyres will last another winter.
  3. Check your conditions for a waiver of the gross negligence defence.
  4. After an accident, photograph tyres, tread and road conditions and state the tyres truthfully.
  5. Only accept a cut if the insurer explains why the tyres caused the accident.

Checklist

  • Tread at least 1.6 mm, ideally much more
  • Speed sticker in view if the tyre rating is below the car's top speed
  • Comprehensive cover with a gross negligence waiver
  • More distance and earlier braking in the heat
  • All-season tyres with the Alpine symbol as an option if you drive little

Common mistakes

  • Believing you are not insured at all on winter tyres in summer
  • Not replacing the speed sticker after a new windscreen
  • Wearing winter tyres down over summer and then having no tread in winter
  • Accepting a blanket cut without a reason

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Is it illegal to drive on winter tyres in summer?

No.

There is no duty to fit summer tyres.

Only the 1.6 mm minimum tread and, where needed, the speed sticker are required.

Does liability insurance pay if I crash on winter tyres in summer?

Yes.

Liability insurance is only free from liability for intent.

The other party gets their damage paid.

Can comprehensive cover refuse to pay entirely?

For gross negligence it may only cut in line with the degree of fault.

A full refusal is rare with winter tyres in summer, and the insurer must justify what it does.

Do I have to tell the insurer I had winter tyres?

If you are asked, yes.

Stay truthful, as tyres and tread can be checked after the accident anyway.

How much longer is the braking distance?

It depends on tyre, tread and temperature.

In an ADAC test from 100 km/h, the car on winter tyres was still doing about 37 km/h when the one

on summer tyres had stopped.

Are all-season tyres a solution?

Often yes for people who drive little.

With the Alpine symbol they are legal in winter, and you save changing tyres twice a year.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request a quote: Car insurance

We compare insurers and come back to you, in English.

Free; the insurer pays our fee.

1Who is it for?
2Which insurance?

Choose as many as you like. For each one, the details an insurer needs for a quote appear below.

Personal

Business

3Details

Car insurance in Germany (liability, partial and fully comprehensive)

Most precise with the HSN and TSN codes from the registration document

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

Free of charge and without obligation. A person will get back to you.

Related questions

Updated

Was this useful?