Winter driving in Romania

• Winter tyres. On public roads covered with snow, ice or frost, the car must have winter tyres, meaning tyres approved as winter tyres. The Road Traffic Code sets no calendar period: what counts is the state of the road when you drive. Without them you risk a fine and the police may keep the car's registration certificate (art. 6, 102 and 112 of the Road Traffic Code).
• Snow chains. The Road Traffic Code mentions them only for goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and for passenger vehicles with more than 9 seats. For cars, the law requires winter tyres, not chains.
• Lights. On all public roads, use dipped headlights or daytime running lights during the day as well (art. 44).
• Speed. Speed limits are the same in winter, but they are maximums. On slippery roads, the Romanian Police advise driving at a speed that lets you stop safely.

• The rental company's Rental Conditions do not say whether the cars have winter tyres. If you travel in the cold season, ask the rental company before your trip; you can ask through the assistance form on the Support page or, once you have booked, on the rental company's number in your voucher. If the car does not have winter tyres, you cannot legally drive it on roads covered with snow, ice or frost.
• Snow chains are rented on request by the rental company, together with the car; its rule is summarised below, under “What the rental company’s conditions say”. When you book online they appear as an option, “Snow chains”, if they are offered for the car you choose. The price is shown in the booking.
• Chains can matter in the mountains. Romania's General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) recommends that in winter the car has seasonal tyres, snow chains and a shovel. In heavy snow, access to some mountain roads may be limited to 4×4 vehicles or cars fitted with chains.

• Weather. Check the weather warnings of ANM, Romania's national weather service, for your whole route. IGSU advises against setting off in a blizzard or heavy snow; if the journey is really necessary, find out first whether any roads on your route are blocked.
• Road status. The CNAIR dispatch centre gives information on national roads and motorways, traffic restrictions and detours: call 021 9360 or check the dispecerat.andnet.ro platform. Police traffic alerts are on Infotrafic.
• Fuel. The police advise keeping enough fuel in the tank so that you do not suffer from the cold if you are held up; the Brașov County Police recommend keeping the tank at least 40% full. The rental company sets how much fuel the car must have when you return it: its rule is in the summary below.
• Visibility. Clear the snow and ice from all windows, mirrors, lights and the roof, and keep the number plates clean and visible. Do not pour warm water on the windscreen (Brașov County Police).
• In the car. The Brașov County Police recommend carrying an ice scraper and de-icer spray, jump leads, a small shovel, salt or sand, a thick blanket, gloves, a torch and a power bank for your phone.

The police advice for slippery roads:

• Drive more slowly and leave a bigger gap to the car in front. On ice, the braking distance can be up to four times longer (Brașov County Police).
• Avoid sudden steering, braking and acceleration.
• On snow and black ice, use engine braking as much as you can instead of the brake pedal, and do not turn while braking on ice (Cluj County Police).
• With a manual gearbox, pull away in second gear on snow.
• If you skid, do not brake hard: lift your foot off the accelerator and steer in the direction the rear of the car is sliding.
• If traffic stops suddenly ahead of you, switch on your hazard lights to warn the drivers behind.
• In queues held up by snow, do not overtake the queue and do not block junctions (Romanian Police).

CNAIR also warns about slush: the grit spread on the road, mixed with moisture, forms slippery patches. Adjust your speed there too.

• The Transfăgărășan (DN7C) and the Transalpina (DN67C). Their high sections close every cold season, by decision of CNAIR, because of snow, blizzards and avalanches. The closing and reopening dates change from year to year; you will find them in CNAIR's press releases (in Romanian).
• Other roads. In snow or blizzards, traffic can also be stopped or restricted for a time on other roads. Check the CNAIR dispatch centre before you set off and on the way.
• Where the rental car may not go. The rental company's conditions forbid driving off paved carriageways, on unpaved or unsurfaced roads, on roads closed to public traffic, in flooded areas and on road sections with a high risk of damaging the car. If you break this rule, you pay the full cost of the repair whatever protection you chose; the rule and its clause number are below.

• 112 is the single emergency number. The call is free, also from a foreign SIM card and without a country code, but without a SIM card in the phone you cannot call 112 in Romania. Calls can be handled in several widely spoken languages. Say as precisely as you can where you are: the county, the town or road and nearby landmarks.
• Get out of the snowploughs' way. If you break down on a snow-covered road, move the car as far off the carriageway as possible so that you do not block the snowploughs, and switch on the side lights and hazard lights (Romanian Police).
• If the wheels spin, do not force the accelerator: the wheels dig in deeper. Rock the car gently forwards and backwards and put sand, grit or floor mats under the wheels (Brașov County Police).
• If you wait for help in the car with the engine running for heat, check often that the exhaust pipe is not covered by snow, so that exhaust fumes cannot get into the car.
• Mechanical breakdown. In case of a mechanical breakdown (technical fault), the rental company provides roadside assistance on Romanian territory for the whole rental. Repairing tyres after a puncture and topping up fluids are not its responsibility, so if you run out of screenwash, buy one made for low temperatures. The car emergency number is on the Support page. If the fault cannot be fixed on the spot, the car is replaced subject to availability, on the terms set by the rental company; assistance and replacement are summarised below, under “What the rental company’s conditions say”.
• Report damage. Tell the rental company about any damage or fault as soon as you notice it and follow the procedure it gives you. If you hit an animal or an obstacle, report it to the police straight away. If the car was damaged by someone unknown, for example while parked, get a repair authorisation from the police before you return it. The steps required by the rental conditions are summarised below.
• Abroad. Roadside assistance covers Romania only. You may leave the country only with the rental company's written consent, and, under its conditions, after a breakdown or accident abroad you bring the car back to Romania at your own cost.

• CDW and theft protection. The rental company's conditions set which protection the rate includes and in which cases the excess is still charged, for example for damage caused by bad weather and for damage to the glass; you will find them summarised below. The excess depends on the car and is shown in the booking.
• SCDW+ removes your liability for accident or theft, with the exceptions set out in the rental company's conditions.
• Whatever your protection, the rental company's conditions leave damage to the underside of the car (sills, skid plate, exhaust silencer, oil sump), to the rims and to the tyres entirely to you. In winter, watch out for kerbs and potholes hidden under the snow and for snowbanks at the edge of the road.
• At return, clear the snow off the car. Under the rental company's conditions, if the weather or dirt prevents the car from being checked, your liability for any damage is extended.

The rental company's rules on protection, damage and returns are summarised below, with clause references.