Winter tires in Serbia: set costs 17,000 to 60,000 dinars
Two weeks before November 1, a new set of winter tires costs 17,000 to 60,000 dinars, while sources disagree on what tire shops charge for fitting.
A new set of winter tires costs roughly 17,000 to 60,000 dinars, according to Kurir and Srbija Danas, while Novosti puts the same set at 20,000 to 60,000 dinars and adds that pricier models cost more. The gap at the low end is 3,000 dinars, and tire shop services are paid on top.
The winter period starts on November 1, two weeks from now, so drivers are already comparing price lists. For most, the biggest expense will be the tires themselves, with the price depending on size, manufacturer and model class.
When are winter tires mandatory in Serbia?
Winter equipment is mandatory from November 1 to April 1, but only when there is snow, ice or black ice on the road. If the roads are dry, a driver is not required to use winter tires. Before November 1, a driver cannot be fined simply for lacking winter tires, even if snow falls early.
Milan Ristic, an expert from the vehicle inspection sector, explained this to Blic TV and warned that the legal deadline does not make summer tires safe:
From November 1, winter equipment is legally mandatory, but before that date drivers should not fear being fined, because that will not happen. But the key thing is personal responsibility. In low temperatures and snow, a summer tire loses elasticity and grip on the surface, which directly endangers your safety and the safety of others. A car with summer tires on black ice loses its direction of travel and drastically lengthens its stopping distance when braking.
Winter tires must be fitted on all four wheels. Ristic told Kurir that “the minimum allowed tread depth for a winter tire is 4 millimeters,” against 1.6 millimeters for summer tires. Depth is checked against the TWI mark on the tire itself, and Ristic says drivers should look at the whole profile, because a tire with faulty alignment often wears along its side edges.
How much do tires cost by size?
Kurir relies on price lists from specialist stores and large online retailers. For the most common sizes, the range per tire looks like this:
- size 175/65 R14: 4,350 to 5,800 dinars
- size 195/65 R15: 5,900 to 9,000 dinars
- size 205/55 R16: 4,900 to 13,000 dinars
- size 225/45 R17: 5,200 to 15,000 dinars
For 16-inch rims, Novosti cites a range of 5,000 to 15,000 dinars per tire, and for 15-inch rims about 6,000 to 9,000 dinars. Srbija Danas cautions that all these prices are approximate and depend on what retailers offer and on the specific model.
How much do fitting and storage cost?
Here the sources part ways. Kurir and Srbija Danas say mounting and balancing cost 600 to 4,000 dinars per wheel, which comes to 2,400 to 16,000 dinars for four wheels. Novosti calculates a change with mounting at about 5,000 to more than 14,000 dinars, and tire shop worker Branko S. quotes 4,800 to 14,400 dinars for all four tires, with the upper figure applying to more expensive cars.
Branko S. told Novosti that it is quiet at the moment, but that this will change:
For now we have no crowds, because by an almost fixed rule everyone remembers to change their tires when the first snow falls
According to Novosti, some mechanics are considering raising their prices by ten percent compared with last year. That is something a share of tire shops are weighing, not a published price increase.
Drivers without a garage can leave their tires at the tire shop: storing four tires costs about 3,000 to 5,000 dinars per season, and some shops offer annual packages or charge by the month. Those who own a second set of rims with winter tires already mounted pay only for swapping the whole wheels, with no removal or balancing of tires.
What are the fines for driving without winter equipment?
Kurir and Srbija Danas cite fine ranges for driving on summer tires when there is snow, ice or black ice on the road:
- individuals: 10,000 to 20,000 dinars
- responsible persons: 6,000 to 50,000 dinars
- legal entities: 60,000 to 800,000 dinars
Those amounts cannot be read as a single fine for a single driver. Srbija Danas stresses that they do not necessarily apply to the same offense and that the actual fine depends on the provision that was violated. Among related headlines, Kurir also mentions a fine of 5,000 dinars, which shows that the figures reported in the media do not line up.
For driving outside built-up areas in winter, snow chains are also part of the equipment, to be fitted when road conditions or a traffic sign require it.
