The use of studded tires is governed by an annex to a regulation of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, which states: The use of studded tires is allowed between October 15 and March 31. As an exception and in the case of wintry road and weather conditions, it is allowed to use studded tires from April 1 to April 30," Kristiina Tilk, press representative for the Transport Administration, said.

"In short, what this means is that April is still a tire swap month. Everyone will decide based on their needs and weather conditions whether to swap out their tires before April 1 or later in the month," she explained.

"While daily temperatures are above freezing and major roads are free of snow, night-time lows mean the roads can be slippery. Those who drive every day and in any weather should not rush their tire change," traffic expert Villu Vane said.

He recommended checking the tread depth of summer tires before installing them, which needs to be at least 1.6 millimeters, while people should consider getting new tires once the tread depth hits 2 millimeters. "Otherwise, the tires might not last the whole season."

Studded tires affect air quality and the wear and tear of road surfaces, said Tarmo Sulg, deputy head of the department of the Tallinn Urban Environment and Public Works Department.

"Studies have shown that street dust is linked to the development of various health issues and, unfortunately, a reduction in expected life span. A study conducted in Helsinki found that 75 percent of the capital area's street dust is caused by studded tires," he said.

"In Tallinn, approximately 5,500 cubic meters of road material loosened and kicked up by studded tires are collected each spring, which is more than 330 truckloads of material harmful to health," Sulg explained.

A study conducted by University of Tartu and the Estonian Environmental Research Center researchers has shown air pollution caused an average of 1,179 premature deaths in Estonia in 2020.

This resulted in 14,179 lost life years and a monetary equivalent of the health impact estimated at €666 million.

According to a study on the impact of studded tires by the Tallinn University of Technology, reducing the usage period of studded tires in Tallinn by 1.5 months would save €1.2 million on road repair work, annually 

It is mandatory for vehicles in Estonia to be fitted with winter tires from December to March. Studded tires can be used between October 15 and March 31 (or April 30 if there are wintry road conditions), while non-studded winter tires can be used year-round, even though experts recommend swapping them out for summer tires once the daily average temperature exceeds 7 degrees Celsius.

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