Are winter tires obligatory?

There is no law in effect in the Alps that demands a vehicle to be equipped with winter tires but if you break down on a snow covered road in an inappropriately equipped vehicle you can still be held responsible. In practice this means that the police can act in the event that the stranded vehicle poses a danger to other traffic or causes a traffic jam. The argument pertaining to a vehicle being 'inappropriately equipped' can also be used in determining the question of fault in the case of accidents. Therefore, travelling without winter tires is entirely the responsibility of the driver.