Winter 2025-26 has been very cold! And suddenly it is possible even here in the southern parts of the country to take your bike and go riding on the frozen lake or sea. This has been quite rare lately… This winter the longest official ice road of Europe was opened few days ago (Koli Ice Road) and surprisingly in Estonia they opened the official Ice Road between Hiiumaa and Saarenmaa.

The law about riding (or driving) on the ice is interesting! You can actually do it even you don’t have the driver’s licence!! You just have to be 15 years of age or older. Elsewhere, you can only drive without a driver’s license in a closed area (e.g. racetracks) or on private property. And if you go riding (driving) to these official Ice Roads then you need to have the driver’s licence!

Official Text:
Driving a car or snowmobile on ice is regulated by the Water Act and the Off-Road Traffic Act, as well as by the Road Traffic Act with regard to official state ice roads. Everyone has the right to travel on waterways or ice without causing unnecessary damage, harm, or disturbance.
Motor vehicles such as snowmobiles, motorcycles, cars, and ATVs may be driven on ice by persons aged 15 and over. The age restriction does not apply to driving in closed areas. The maximum speed limit on ice is 80 km/h.
When driving a motor vehicle on ice, care and caution must be exercised. No harm should be caused to nature, the environment, residential areas, fishing, or general recreational use. It is advisable to keep a good distance from coastal settlements and cottages, as the greatest harm caused by motor vehicles is noise and traffic safety hazards. The police enforce the Road Traffic Act, the Off-Road Traffic Act, and the Water Traffic Act. On state-maintained ice roads, the Road Traffic Act must be observed on ice roads maintained by the state, i.e., only persons with a driver’s license may drive on ice roads.

I will add two videos to this post. They’re not mine but both are great riding on the ice!