Winter service started: How to master the ice and snow challenges!

Winter service started: How to master the ice and snow challenges!

The municipal winter service started in Sinzing on November 17, 2025, as reported by sinzing.de. With temperatures dropping to around freezing in the early hours of the morning, authorities are preparing to clear snow and ice from roads. The local building yard has taken over responsibility for winter service and will ensure that the streets and sidewalks remain as safe as possible.

Carrying out winter service is not just a municipal task. Property owners are also required to clear and grit their own area. This includes in particular the sidewalks, which usually have to be cleared by the owners at their own expense, which adac.de confirms. Landlords can also transfer this obligation to their tenants if this is specified in the rental agreement.

Duties and responsibilities

The municipality is responsible for clearing streets and paths and can delegate this duty to private companies. In urban areas, the streets must be cleared in dangerous places, such as thoroughfares and pedestrian walkways. This is particularly important in order to avoid icy accidents, which is why more precise regulations are set out in the road and path laws and street cleaning laws of the federal states, as anwaltssuche.de explains.

A crucial point is that the community must point out danger areas. Inspection drives usually begin at around 5 a.m., while the actual winter service should begin in dangerous areas between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. In the event of sudden black ice, the authorities are obliged to take action within around 1.5 hours.

The minimum remaining road width of 3.5 meters according to the StVO must always be adhered to. There are often problems due to illegal parking, especially in the Wendehammer, which is often marked as a parking ban by signs, but is still often ignored. This significantly affects the capabilities of winter service vehicles, making clearing more difficult. Furthermore, bicycles or scooters leaning against lanterns and railings hinder the clearing of the sidewalk, which endangers the safety of pedestrians.

When it comes to snow disposal, there are clear recommendations that property owners should preferably remove the snow onto their own property. However, it is permitted to shovel snow to the side of the road as long as it does not obstruct visibility. This also applies to parking spaces, where the publicly accessible area must still be accessible, even if the entire parking lot does not have to be cleared.

The legal framework is clear: If winter service is not carried out properly and falls occur, the person responsible can be held liable for damages. But municipalities are also liable and must take their obligations seriously. Inadequate clearing can have legal consequences, as citizens have the right to demand that the municipality carry out winter maintenance, especially in dangerous areas.

In order to ensure the safety of all road users, it is essential that both communities and property owners fulfill their winter service obligations. With the start of winter service in Sinzing, an important phase for road safety begins.