Published
Reading time: 2 minutes – video: 2 minutes
2 minutes
Thirty-four departments have required the use of snow tires since November 1. With the arrival of cold weather, there is a huge surge in garages and specialty stores. How do I find my way there?
This text corresponds to the transcription section of the report above. Click on the video to watch it in full.
With the first snow and ice falling, as every winter, the roads become difficult to navigate. In order not to slip, it is better to immediately equip yourself with winter tires. Since the beginning of this week, in the Midas garage in Metz (Moselle), meetings have been ongoing. To install winter tires, Patrick has taken all the precautions. “I know that when the first snow falls, everyone rushes to make an appointment, and then everything goes to shit. I made an appointment about ten days ago and it was perfect timing, because the snow arrived right at that time”he admitted.
The same thing happened to Marie, although she was a little late and scared herself: “Two days ago, I saw snow in front of my house. And I said to myself that it was really fun to do that before.”
Currently, the shop equips about twenty vehicles per day. “Today is tire day. In the afternoon, that’s all we have”assures Philippe Kuchky, garage manager. To meet demand, it is necessary to organize assembly line work. Despite everything, deadlines are getting longer and longer. “Ideally at the start of December, the next week starts to get really tense“, he said on the phone to a customer.”It’s been a week and it hasn’t stopped and now, deadlines are starting to get more and more tense. We can’t push through walls or limited staff, so we have to turn people away“, continued Philippe Kuchky.
Driving with winter tires is mandatory in 34 departments. The market is under pressure, so some people may be tempted to buy online at cheaper prices at the risk of being ripped off. However, it is better to focus on quality products. “Winter tires have more sipes, so they are much more effective in temperatures below 7 degrees“, explains Guillaume Klein, director of the Norauto – Belle épine center. You should also check the date of manufacture, which is systematically indicated on the tire, indicated by four numbers on the tire. “The tires may be completely new, but they were manufactured several years ago. And therefore more useful on vehicles”continued Guillaume Klein.
Final advice: count on at least a hundred euros for one tire in winter.
