Snow chains are safety devices, in particular they are additional grip devices that are attached to the wheels of motor vehicles to improve traction on slippery surfaces.
As a safety device, snow chains are regulated by national or international standards that define their technical, marking and control requirements.
The standards to which snow chains for vehicles in category N2 (cars with up to 9 seats including the driver), M2 (trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating up to 3.5t) and O2 (related trailers) must comply with are the Austrian O-Norm V5119.
In fact, these are the two standards that establish the minimum safety requirements that a snow chain must have in order to be considered legally valid.
In addition to a purely technical issue concerning the specifications of the chain, materials, treatments and characteristics that the finished product must achieve, the standards clearly set out the requirements for product marking and packaging.
Why is marking so important?
Simply because the marking is the indicator that makes a snow chain legally fit for use and is the one that is checked by the police during checks in the winter period.
V5119 requires the product to be marked according to the standard to allow recognition during FDO checks.
Depending on the different models of König snow chains, the marking is present on different components:
- On Professional snow chains with external mounting (K-Summit Pro), the marking is stamped on the seat of the tensioning wheel;
- On Professional snow chains with intuitive fitting (Coach Master), the marking V5119 is stamped on the plate near the chain lock;
- On conventionally fitted Professional snow chains, the V5119 marking is stamped on the tensioning lever.
Depending on the different models of König snow chains, the marking is present on the different packaging:
- On König K-Summit Pro snow chains, the Ö-Norm V5119 marking can be found on the adhesive label on the plastic casing:
- On the easy-fit snow chains (König Coach Master), the Ö-Norm V5119 marking can be found on the adhesive label on the nylon bag;
- On conventionally fitted snow chains (all other models), the Ö-Norm V5119 marking can be found on the label attached to each bag or on the adhesive label on the carton or box;
In addition to the approval logo, the packaging must include other mandatory information, including a list of tyres compatible with the snow chain itself.
Ö-Norm V5119 is not only a collection of technical requirements on which many countries base their safety standards for professional snow chains, it is also a standard that is included in the highway code of countries such as Austria and Switzerland.
For further information, please contact us by email at Costumer Service