Winter Breakdown on the Schwarzwaldhochstraße and Other Mountain Roads

What makes the route different in winter

The Schwarzwaldhochstraße runs for long stretches at around 800 to 1,000 metres elevation. It's cleared when it snows, but that doesn't always happen fast enough. In a severe winter storm, the road can be closed at times. Snow chains are only mandatory for cars in exceptional cases; for trucks, a chain requirement has already been ordered on individual sections, for example between Alexanderschanze and Kniebis. It's worth checking the current traffic situation before you drive.

Winter tyres: what's required

Germany has a situational winter-tyre requirement (§ 2 para. 3a StVO): in black ice, snow, slush, or icy/frosty conditions, you must drive on winter tyres. Since October 2024, only tyres with the Alpine symbol, a mountain with a snowflake, count for this. Driving without suitable tyres in these conditions risks a fine of at least €60 and a point on your licence. If you obstruct or endanger others, it's at least €80. A vehicle on summer tyres stuck in snow can quickly block the whole road.

If you get stuck

1. Switch on your hazard lights and have a hi-vis vest ready. Only get out if the spot is safe.
2. Don't keep spinning the wheels. That digs the vehicle in deeper and, on an automatic, overheats the transmission. Roll back carefully and straighten the wheels.
3. Keep the exhaust clear if you run the engine for heat. A snow-covered exhaust can send fumes into the cabin.
4. Stay warm: put on a jacket and blanket, use the heating only intermittently, and charge your phone.
5. Note your location: a car park, a viewpoint, or a distance marker, for example Mummelsee, Hundseck or Ruhestein.

Typical winter breakdowns on mountain roads

• Flat battery after the night: it delivers less power in frost, see Jump-starting and a flat battery.
• Handbrake frozen: see Handbrake won't release.
• Vehicle slides into a ditch: recovery instead of towing. Tell us how the vehicle is positioned and whether anyone is injured. If anyone is injured, 112 first.
• Engine overheating or brakes glowing after a long descent, see Engine overheating.
• No signal: if your phone has no reception, try to reach a spot with signal, such as a crest, or ask passing drivers for help.

What to tell a towing service

• The road and section: the B500 with a section or the nearest car park, or a location in the valley
• Whether the road is cleared, and whether you're on an incline or a bend
• Tyres: winter tyres or not, chains available
• Vehicle, drivetrain, and whether it can still move

On mountain roads, towing vehicles themselves need winter equipment, and nobody gets through on closed sections. We'll tell you honestly if it's going to take longer. For the Baden-Baden area, see Towing Service Baden-Baden, for the Achertal, Towing Service Achern.