New tire regulations for Germany (important)

I know that Americans used to debate whether it was required by law or not to have winter or all weather tires in Germany when the weather warrants it.  Well, now it has officially become law to the point of a police officer being able to stop your vehicle if you do not have winter or all weather tires and fining you and putting points on your license.  Also....

in addition to this 40 euros you'll pay, if you cause any kind of accident, you'll pay another 40 euros plus most likely be held at fault and be responsible for damages which could of course run into the hundreds or thousands.

So, ADAC Motorwelt, the ADAC monthly magazine, is recommending you put winter or all weather tires on your vehicle from October to Easter (Oktober bis Ostern, O to O to make it easy for Germans to remember).  Do remember that there are also other options for tire purchases in Germany besides the economy (very expensive) and the PX (expensive).  My favorite is Tirerack.com (good prices) where I recently purchased my all-weather tires, arriving here in just under a week.  Be sure to get it done before the mad rush at the local repair shop!