The pilot ban on studded tires came into force at the end of September. The aim of the three-year pilot is to improve air quality and reduce traffic noise in the area.

The traffic sign banning studded tires on Lönnrotinkatu forces drivers in winter to take two alternative routes depending on their destination. The alternative route to Ruoholahti will be about 300 meters longer and traverse Mannerheimintie and Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu. The alternative route to Kamppi and Punavuori will be Bulevardi, which will make the trip about 200 meters longer. Photograph: TONY ÖHBERG/FINLAND TODAY

The traffic legislation calls for car drivers to use winter tires, studded or friction, from the beginning of November if the weather or road surface requires it.

But on a 900-meter stretch between Mannerheimintie and Hietalahdenkatu streets in Helsinki, there’s no business in driving with studded tires.

They are banned.

The ban has brought new traffic signs and monitoring devices along the street. The devices monitor air quality and the use of studded tires. The sign, however, still allows cars with studded tires to access the lots along the street.

Nonetheless, the ban concerns all cars passing through this restricted part of Lönnrotinkatu — including taxis and other professional drivers. “Driving through this street, when one is not visiting a property is unequivocally prohibited based on this traffic sign that bans driving with studded tires,” said Marek Salermo, the traffic engineer at the City of Helsinki, but added that “the authorities are exempt from this kind of regulation.”

Why the ban, though?

The pilot aims to study the impact of the studded tire ban on air quality and the popularity of friction tires, the city noted in a statement.

The new traffic sign will be tested on Lönnrotinkatu until autumn 2025.

According to its long-term strategy, the City of Helsinki aims to increase the use of friction tires so that they would make up 70% of winter tires by 2030.

While friction tires may have their benefits if one is driving around the city, experts agree that studded tires are the safest option when driving on icy roads and hard snow and when there are significant changes between mild and cold weather.

The ban on studded tires on Lönnrotinkatu will apply to the 900-meter section between Mannerheimintie and Hietalahdenkatu streets. The one-way Lönnrotinkatu street runs west from the city center, serving drivers traveling from Pohjoisesplanadi toward the Ruoholahti district and to the Kamppi and Punavuori districts.

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