Winter equipment zoneFrance
123. Winter equipment zone
A winter equipment zone is an area or section of road where vehicles may be required to use specified winter equipment because of snow, ice or other winter conditions. Required equipment can include winter tyres, snow chains or other approved traction devices, depending on the country's rules.
The beginning and end of such a zone may be indicated by traffic signs or temporary winter-condition signs. Drivers should check which vehicles are covered and whether the requirement applies permanently during a season or only when particular weather conditions exist.
Wikimedia.org • Marc Mongenet • CC BY-SA
When do French mountain winter-equipment-zone rules apply?
In designated mountain municipalities, the requirement applies from 1 November to 31 March. Official B58/B59 signs identify the beginning and end of a covered zone; the period is shown on supplementary information.
Snow chains and winter tyres zone.
English • Traffic sign B58 • Beginning of a zone requiring winter equipment during the winter period.
Français • Panneau B58 • Entrée de zone d'obligation d'équipements en période hivernale.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Equipementsdelaroute.cerema.fr • Arrêté du 24 novembre 1967
© Kilyann Le Hen et les contributeurs Wikimedia • CC BY-SA 4.0 • SVG original non modifié.
Image via Commons.wikimedia.org
Kilyann Le Hen • CC BY-SA 4.0 • Source revision 2022-07-25. Wikimedia original unmodified.
End of zone for snow chains and winter tyres.
English • Traffic sign B59 • End of a zone requiring winter equipment during the winter period.
Français • Panneau B59 • Sortie de zone d'obligation d'équipements en période hivernale.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Equipementsdelaroute.cerema.fr • Arrêté du 24 novembre 1967
© Kilyann Le Hen et les contributeurs Wikimedia • CC BY-SA 4.0 • SVG original non modifié.
Image via Commons.wikimedia.org
Kilyann Le Hen • CC BY-SA 4.0 • Source revision 2022-07-25. Wikimedia original unmodified.
Do cars entering a French winter-equipment zone have to use snow chains?
For covered light vehicles, the normal choice is either four qualifying winter tyres or removable anti-skid equipment suitable for at least two driven wheels carried in the vehicle. Chains do not normally have to be fitted on bare roads.
Do M+S-only tyres fulfil France’s mountain winter-equipment rule?
Not by themselves. To count as the required winter tyres, they need the Alpine 3PMSF marking. A vehicle with tyres marked only M+S must also carry qualifying removable traction equipment.

Traffic rules
France