As Oct. 1, motorists need to throw those winter tires on their vehicles if they want to drive on British Columbia highways.
Those winter tire and chain regulations will remain in effect from Oct. 1 until March 31.
Although mountain passes may not see much snow in the coming weeks, police still are able to enforce those rules.
RCMP, Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement and other policing agencies can give drivers a $109 fine for not having the proper winter tires and motorists can also be prevented from travelling.
Winter tires must have the M+S logo on them, along with 3.5 millimetre tread.
However, the provincial government highly recommends using mountain snowflake tires and carrying chains while driving high mountain passes, such as the Coquihalla or Connector.
Passenger vehicle requirements
Winter road conditions across most of B.C. often include snow and ice and most B.C. highways have high mountain passes where you are likely to encounter winter weather starting in October. It is the responsibility of the operator of a vehicle to understand the conditions on roads they regularly drive and equip their vehicle for those conditions.
About winter tires
A legal winter tire (on a standard passenger vehicle or a four-wheel/all-wheel vehicle) “must” have at least 3.5 mm of tread depth.
A winter tire must be labelled with either of the following:
• The letters M and S are the minimum legal requirement (mud + snow/all season tires)
• The three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol (some manufacturers label with both the mountain snowflake and the M+S symbol)
Mountain snowflake tires offer better traction on snow and ice. We recommend drivers install mountain/snowflake tires for cold weather driving and, for extreme conditions, carry chains.
Summer tires are not recommended for driving between Oct. 1 and March 31 and chains on summer tires are not an acceptable substitute for legal winter tires on signed B.C. highways.
Matching winter tires
We recommend drivers use four winter tires that are evenly matched in tread type and depth; however – you must have at least two matching winter tires on the primary drive axle even when driving a 4X4 vehicle. Mixing tires with different tread patterns, internal construction and size compromises stability, and should be avoided.
Air pressure
Maintaining proper air pressure extends tread life and improves safety. Tire pressure decreases as temperatures drop, so have the pressure checked at least once a month, when the tires are cold.
Types of traction devices
Passenger vehicles may use alternative traction devices with their winter tires. Only use these devices if they have been tested for performance in winter conditions.
Chains
When placed on a vehicle’s primary drive axle, steel link chains provide superior traction in snow and ice and will minimize slippage on a banked curve. Cable chains provide adequate traction, but lateral slippage may occur on banked curves.
Studded tires
These tires may only be used on BC highways from Oct. 1 to April 30 and the studs should not protrude more than two mm from the tread or traction surface of the tire. Use of studded tires outside of this period may result in a fine.
If you are using studded tires, you should have them on all four wheels for even traction. If using studded tires on the front of the vehicle they must be used on the back of the vehicle as well
Textile tire cover
A textile sheath placed over a winter tire improves traction in the same manner as steel tire chains. They work best on snow and ice. When used on asphalt they will quickly degrade.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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