Belarus Police Report First Fines for Summer Tires as Winter Checks Begin
Traffic police in Belarus have issued their first fines to motorists still using summer tires, launching a nationwide crackdown as winter weather sets in.
Despite the first snow and ice appearing in November, some drivers have failed to switch to mandatory winter tires, the State Automobile Inspectorate (GAI) reported. Fines for the offense came into effect on December 1.
In the Grodno region alone, officers detected 22 violations of vehicle winter preparation rules during initial raids. The police did not specify the penalties issued in these cases.
Authorities announced that special enforcement operations will continue across the entire country until December 5.
Under new regulations effective this year, only tires marked with the «Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake» (3PMSF) symbol on the sidewall are considered winter tires. The marking must be accompanied by one of the abbreviations M+S, M&S, or M S.
Even with the correct markings, the minimum legal tread depth for winter tires is 4 millimeters. Failure to meet this standard will also result in a fine.
The penalty structure is as follows:
— A first-time offense carries a fine of up to 1 base unit (currently 42 Belarusian rubles, approximately $[Equivalent in USD]; rising to 45 rubles from January 1, 2026).
— A repeat violation within one year is punishable by a fine of 2 to 5 base units (84-210 rubles now, increasing to 90-225 rubles in January).