BTA suggest not to rush replacement winter for summer tyres
BTA suggest not to rush replacement winter for summer tyres
As colds are about to return in the second half of the week, car drivers in mornings should take into account the probability of a factor that could be forgotten due to the permanent cold of February – the “black ice”. BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS (BTA) reminds drivers not to be tricked by the visually as if clean black asphalt road surface and not to rush replacing winter tyres for summer ones. According to the statistics of the insurer, the “black ice” is equally dangerous as the first snow, and is a reason why the number of car insurance claims rises for at least one tenth.
According to the regulations of the Latvian Road Traffic Safety Directorate, car owners may replace their winter tyres for summer ones as early as of the 1st of March. The thawing and vanishing of the snow cover during the warm days at the start of the week sent a deceptive signal to some drivers that spring is here and the time has come to changes tyres on their car.
Although, what we have seen in recent years, and this year’s weather forecast tells the same, that driving conditions on highways in March remain tough – icing of road top in mornings and evenings, sudden snowfall or rainfall that immediately gets frozen to the road surface. Winter tyres are inevitably a better option for coping with such conditions.
“One should not forget about other nuances characteristic to winter-time driving, such as keeping a larger distance, selecting appropriate driving speed, start braking action sooner, being more careful when accelerating and avoiding swift manoeuvres. Particular caution should be exercised on bridges, road cross-overs and lesser used roads, where poorer driving conditions could remain longer, as well as pay more attention to junctions, as by far not all road users make an adequate assessment of the necessary braking distance,” reminds BTA Baltic Insurance Risks Underwriting Department Director Ivo Danče.
In case one still has got into a road traffic accident, BTA advises its customers to call BTA’s 24/7 hotline at +371 26121212 as soon as possible and provide information about the accident and follow the received instructions. If a road traffic accident has occurred, one should act according to the effective legislation, notifying the police thereof or completing the agreed statement of facts on motor vehicle accident
About BTA
BTA Baltic Insurance Company is one of the leading insurance companies in the Baltics, offering the broadest range of non-life insurance services in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. BTA employs more than 1 000 employees in the Baltics. The largest shareholder of BTA is Vienna Insurance Group AG with 200 years of experience in the insurance industry. More than 50 companies in 25 countries constitute the group, which employs 25,000 employees. Vienna Insurance Group AG is a clear leader in its core markets in Europe maintaining high rating of financial stability – Standard & Poor’s A+ (stable outlook), with a listing on the Vienna and the Prague Stock Exchange.
Additional information:
Elīna Rasmane
Marketing and Public Relations Department Director
BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS
e-mail: elina.rasmane@bta.lv