You shouldn't wait for the first snow to switch to winter tires. At temperatures below +7°C, the summer rubber compound hardens, which worsens grip and increases braking distance. At the same time, October 1 in Ukraine is not a legal deadline for changing tires.
Summer tires lose some grip at +7°C
The reason is not snow, but the properties of the rubber compound. Continental notes that below approximately +7°C, the compound of summer tires begins to noticeably harden. The tire adapts worse to the road surface, so grip decreases even on dry cold asphalt.
On a wet road, the difference is demonstrated by ADAC tests. At an asphalt temperature of +7°C, when braking from 80 km/h, a winter tire needed 36.2 m, while a summer tire needed 42.7 m. The difference was 6.5 m.
“At temperatures below +7°C, summer rubber 'stiffens' and loses its properties - this reduces handling and increases braking distance,” notes the author of the material, Oleksii Astapov.
Winter tires in Ukraine are not tied to October 1
As of 2026, in Ukraine there is no clear rule that would establish a mandatory calendar date for switching to winter tires and liability specifically for using summer rubber in winter.
Therefore, the date of October 1 is not a deadline for “changing shoes.” The guideline for the driver is weather conditions: Continental recommends switching to winter tires when the temperature steadily drops below +7°C.
