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ENVIRONMENT

How Danish cities could introduce no-diesel car zones

Mayors in Denmark’s largest cities want municipalities across the country to be given the option of introducing special environmental zones for traffic.

Published: 13 September 2019 10:16 CEST
How Danish cities could introduce no-diesel car zones
Traffic in Copenhagen. Photo: Sofie Mathiassen/Ritzau Scanpix

Municipal leaders from the four largest cities in Denmark want to ensure cleaner air in urban areas, and the suggestion has been welcomed by environment minister Lea Wermelin, Politiken and Ritzau report.

The mayors are proposing the government allows initiatives including the option of banning older diesel vehicles from designated ‘environment zones’ in cities.

“This is not a war against cars, but a war against health-hazardous emissions from diesel cars,” Copenhagen’s lord mayor Frank Jensen said in a press statement.

“That’s why we have to start placing environmental standards on cars that are driven in our cities, initially for the most polluting diesel cars,” Jensen added.

The proposal for environmental demands on cars in cities has been made jointly by city mayors in Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg and Copenhagen.

One element of the proposal calls for diesel cars produced before 2012 to be banned in the four cities from 2022.

That would be extended in 2025 to cars produced prior to September 2016.

“I’m pleased we have mayors who are concerned with reducing air pollution,” Wermelin said.

“We know that thousands of Danes die too early because there is too much air pollution, particularly in the largest cities,” she continued.

“That is why it’s important for us to do more than we are doing today, and I am looking forward to discussing the specific proposals with municipalities and, as such, with parliamentary parties in regard to how we move forward,” the minister said.

Autobranchen Danmark, an industry organization representing car dealerships and workshops, said it backed measures to improve the environment.

The organization noted that both car traders and consumers should be given enough time to make necessary adjustments in order to comply with new rules.

“That is only fair, so that (traders and customers) know how the economy in garages and car dealerships is going to develop,” Autobranchen Danmark CEO Gitte Seeberg said.

Wermelin said she recognizes the need to take private financial situations into consideration.

“We should have strong climate policies, but also smart climate policies,” she said.

“That’s why we must make sure that new rules work while ensuring they don’t have a skewed social impact,” she added.

Current emissions zones in Danish cities apply only to buses and lorries.

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DRIVING

How should you prepare your car for autumn (and winter) in Denmark?

It’s common for motorists in Denmark to switch between summer and winter tyres once autumn sets in, but do conditions in the country call for anything else?

Published: 27 September 2023 15:19 CEST
How should you prepare your car for autumn (and winter) in Denmark?

You might not have noticed based on the weather, but calendars are proof that autumn has arrived in Denmark.

With that in mind, it’s inevitable that conditions on the roads will be taking a wetter and colder turn sooner or later. What steps are usually taken by motorists in Denmark at this time of year to set their vehicles up for the coming months?

Winter tyres 

Winter tyres are not a legal requirement in Denmark but they are generally recommended, including by FDM, the membership organisation for motorists.

Tyres which qualify as winter tyres are marked “M + S”, which stands for “Mud and Snow” and have a mountain and snowflake symbol.

While the law does not require you to use winter tyres, you do have to have matching tyre types. So it is illegal to, for example, keep normal tyres on the front of your car and just change the rear tyres in the winter.

It is common to switch over to winter tyres in the ‘autumn holiday’ or efterårsferie around the second half of October. Many car owners keep a second set of wheels with winter tyres in their basements or garages, or at “tyre hotels” in workshops who can also change the wheels for you and store the summer tyres in place of the winter set.

READ ALSO: Driving in Denmark: When should you change to winter tyres?

Check your battery

Car batteries work harder when it is cold, particularly when the temperatures drop below zero. If you have an older car or an older battery, it might therefore be a good idea to ask a mechanic to check it.

When it’s cold, you’re likely to be using functions like the internal fans and heaters which will put additional drain on the battery.

Make sure your windscreen is clear

It’s important to get your windscreen clear before you head out, even on shorter journeys. This goes for both ice and condensation and a windscreen that is not properly cleared and therefore limits your vision can get you a “clip” or points on your driving licence, as well as being a safety hazard.

Make sure you have a good quality ice scraper in the car, and get the motor and windscreen heaters running in good time before you set off.

“Wing mirrors, headlights and number plates must also be free of ice and snow” said Rasmus Boserup, head of communications with energy company OK, in a press release. OK operates petrol stations across Denmark.

READ ALSO: How strict are the punishments for driving offences in Denmark?

Change your wiper blades

Drivers often use their windscreen wipers to help scrape the remaining frost from windshields. This can wear down the wiper blades, resulting in squeaking and inefficient performance in rainy weather conditions.

Ideally, you should avoid this and stick to a scraper and the heating system to clear ice. It’s nevertheless a good idea to treat your vehicle to a new set of wiper blades if you notice a deterioration.

Put a high-viz jacket or vest and hazard triangle in your car

If you break down and pull over to the side of the motorway or road, you’ll need a relective hazard triangle (advarselstrekant in Danish), which must be placed behind the car to warn approaching drivers about your stricken vehicle. These are required by law if you’ve broken down (although it’s technically not a legal requirement to have one in the car) – so it’s worth having one in the boot/trunk.

In addition to this, a high-visibility jacket, vest or other clothing is a very good idea if you have to pull over, and even more so when it’s dark or in the winter when visibility is generally poorer than in summer.

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