Topic: Mandatory snow tire law

[ovr50]

Got both ours done now (switched over) plus even my procrastinator son had his done this AM.

Have fun in the line-ups, guys....

[Drivesideways]

I have one set of winter tires...in my garage...not mounted on their rims yet...and I still have one set to purchase.  It took me 1 hour and 40 minutes to drive into downtown.  Wonderful dump of snow/rain/ice....

Still waiting for our first...er..."dump" up here.  It's like a ticking time bomb.    My snows are mounted and stacked, but not on the car. 

On mandatory snow tires...I think it would be ineffectual due to the enforcement difficulties.  And without enforcement, it's just another toothless law.  Education and/or incentives though...sure.

[ktm525]

I have my air tools and winters on rims stacked and ready to go. I'll wait till the snow sticks to the pavement for more than 1 day. I am guessing 3 weeks.

[erich]

When I left my home in Calgary this morning, the road was so frozen it was hard to walk on it. I had some whwheel spins and the ABS worked hard. Two kms further the main roads were wet but no ice (I mean Mcleod and Deerfoot), only one big traffic jam.
Would those two km justify my winter tires - with the reduced grip for the rest of the road?

[articsteve]

I live in Ontario. I think we need mandatory snow  tire laws here.. Dec 1 - MArch 31.

Drivers should be heavily fined i order to acheive compliance.

And the Manufacturiers should be obligated to include them in the sale of a car.


What do you think?

I think that if you want a life dominated by big government then it's a great idea.   What's next?  A permit to take a outdoors @ 5 bucks a shot with mandatory castration for first time offenders.

[siwash]

Well, i think that Govt laws and regulations are a necessarily apsect of a civilized, modern state!

why don't we just scrap a bunch of other regualtions like speed lmits, seatbelt enforcement, etc...do you see any merit in regulating hiways nat all, or should it be every individual for himself out there?

Some of you still cling to Lockean views of the world! "the individual knows best" sure,sure..i think there are too many irresponsible idiots out there not to justify regulatons and laws in general... not only in this case

snow tires work - if it can save a few lives or serious injury a year then it's worth it.. if i can have them on my car then everyone else should too..

if you wanna be cheap with your life, fine.. but when one of you comes barelling down the road on a snowy day and doesn't have time to stop or control your car, then it becomes my problem.. you just better not kill one of my family members..

[mdxtasy]

Regulating something like tires is crazy.  Should we also put into law that the police check brake pads?  How about power steering fluid?  Washer fluid?  We can all make a case that each one of these items help increase the safety of a vehicle....much like winter tires. 

As much of a pro winter tire guy as I am....this is a personal decision that the owner of a vehicle will have to decide.    This is not a government issue. 

Well, i think that Govt laws and regulations are a necessarily apsect of a civilized, modern state!

Too much law and regulations and what do you get?  Bye bye democracy and freedom of choice.  We all know how civilized and modern those communist states are.   

[ovr50]

Siwash - you're preaching to the wrong group - most everyone on here believes in and uses snow tires. The enforcement issue is a huge problem however. Would you pay the police to run around and check every vehicles tires and what if they were snow tires but worn out? Etc, etc. The insurance penalty is a better way to do it IMO.

[quadzilla]

Even if a driver puts snow tires on their car it doesn't make them safer.  The DRIVER is still the largest factor in the driving formula and if they outdrive the limits they will still get in an accident.

[articsteve]

or should it be every individual for himself out there?

snow tires work - if it can save a few lives or serious injury a year then it's worth it.. if i can have them on my car then everyone else should too..

It is every man, woman and kid for themselves now.

Well when the authorities remove all the repeat drunk drivers and uninsured drivers from the roads then lets move on to the issue of mandatory snow tires ( which will be never).

[Craig]

I wish everyone drove on snows, but I can't see legislating it.  What of those who leave the car parked when it snows?

[johngenx]

Forget it.

Let's attack DRIVING first.  I want the cops to write tickets for all kinds of stuff that is way more dangerous.  Let's make it 100X tougher to GET a license and let's spend some bucks on periodic retesting.

As to you Calgarians without your snows on, what's up?  You live in Alberta guys.  Mine go on the morning of the first snow (about half an hour with the floor jack, compressor/air-wrench/clicker torque) or November 1, which ever is first.  Both the MB and the Subie are Blizzak shod now.

[ovr50]

Ya, you Calgary guys, get with the program here. Even mine are on, and it's the Sunny Okanagan here (more the rainy Okanagan lately). My son says there is 30 cms at Big White already. Could be an early ski season..

[mdxtasy]

Oh shut up.....

[ShadowDog]

When I left my home in Calgary this morning, the road was so frozen it was hard to walk on it. I had some whwheel spins and the ABS worked hard. Two kms further the main roads were wet but no ice (I mean Mcleod and Deerfoot), only one big traffic jam.
Would those two km justify my winter tires - with the reduced grip for the rest of the road?

Winter tires offer grip in combination with a softer tread to make icy roads less of a threat to wheel slippage as opposed to harder compounds in 3-season tires.  Winter treads don't offer much less grip in wet conditions unless you don't slow down in wet conditions as one is supposed to, even with 3-season tires.

Basically, it comes down to knowing that the majority of the time, the winter tires will offer the better performance through the time when it is likely that poor road conditions will be the norm.  Sure, a lot of people get by just fine on 3-season tires through the winter; however, many people ending up in accidents may have been able to save themselves the grief by having installed winter tires over their 3-season tires.  Victims of circumstance I guess...you just never know.