As the Province (well, mainly the Lower Mainland) recovers from Snowmageddon 2020, questions about making winter tires mandatory won’t go away. After seeing people “skating around”, Attorney general David Eby said he thought the recommendation to make them mandatory was a good idea.
Eby said he plans to ask ICBC about the possible rule change. This blog will explore the current rules around winter tires and look at the possible reasons for expanding them.
What are the current winter tire laws?
As it stands, they are only mandatory in certain parts of BC. Most major highways require winter tires or chains between October 1 and April 30. These routes are marked with signs.
Not all roads in BC have the requirement, however. Cities, municipalities and private roads set their own bylaws so they may or may not be mandatory.
Under the Motor Vehicle Act, winter tires must have 3.5 mm of tread depth. They must also display either the “M + S” or the three-peaked mountain symbol.
Punishments for not having winter tires when required
The police and other agencies can prevent you from travelling and issue fines for not complying with the regulations. The fines are $121 for passenger vehicles and $196 for commercial vehicles. The fine for commercial vehicles bypassing an active chain-up area is $598.
Arguments for
Calls to make snow tires compulsory usually happen after a snowfall in the Lower Mainland. Drivers in the cities and municipalities there are less used to driving in wintery conditions.
David Eby’s calls to make the requirement province-wide came in the wake of a surge in ICBC accident claims after the snow. The argument being winter tires equals fewer accidents.
Arguments against
Of course, areas such as the Lower Mainland get significantly less snow than others. In cities like Vancouver, it snows maybe once or twice a year so mandatory winter tires might be overkill.
Also, forcing everyone to spend money on new tires because of the accidents of a minority is arguably unfair.
What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
impaired driving regulations should not apply in rural areas because you have no choice but to drive to get to the bar. bars in the cities are within walking distance or a short cab drive. in rural areas there is limited or no cab or public transit so impaired driving should be okay? driving with tires that are not adequate for road conditions is pretty much the same thing. winter tires all around, please.