What Makes a Winter Tire A Sever Snow Condition Tire?

[HeliDriver]

From the Transports Quebec website:

"What is the definition of winter tires?

The regulation, adopted on September 17, 2008, and which will be published in the Gazette officielle du Québec, defines tires specifically designed for winter driving as those that meet one of the following criteria prior to December 15, 2014:

Tires on which one of the following inscriptions appear: Alaska, Arctic, A/T or AT Blizzard, Ice, LT, Nordic, Snow (but not mud and snow), Stud, Ultratraction or Winter
or

Tires on which the icon representing a mountain with a superimposed snowflake appears."

http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/portal/page/portal/grand_public_en/vehicules_promenade/securite_routiere/securite_conditions_hivernales/reglement_utilisation_pneus_hiver

So, I'm assuming your new tires do not have the Mountain & Snowflake symbol. If that's the case, then it looks like you're out of luck.

Depending on the size and construction, some of the Motomaster Total Terrain A/Ts do meet the regulations (LT sizes), but yours (P-metric) do not.

Seems kind of arbitrary, but that appears to be the rule. 

[HeliDriver]

Wait a minute, looks like you're in luck!

Reading the list, it seemed clear to me that a tire needed to be marked A/T Blizzard or AT Blizzard to comply with the regulations. But, that seemed a little unusual, and inconsistent with the way the other designations were listed.

So I decided to have a look on the French website. There it says: "Le pneu porte l’une des inscriptions suivantes : Alaska, Arctic, A/T ou AT, Blizzard, Ice, LT, Nordic, Snow (à l’exclusion de celle de mud and snow), Stud, Ultratraction ou Winter."

What a difference a comma makes! For the final word on the matter, you'll need to consult the Gazette officielle du Québec (looks like you need a subscription to do it online), but it seems more logical to me to assume the version with the comma between AT and Blizzard is the correct one.

So, it also seems that winter tires aren't really mandatory in Quebec, after all. At least not for SUVs and pickups that run All Terrain tires.

(By the way, this reminds me of a great book called Eats, Shoots & Leaves. Your fourth grade English teacher was right - punctuation is important!)

[wing]

Yes that is unfortunate that everyone with a truck will no be running into the back of every small car out there with winter tires.

Let's allow heavy vehicles that are heavier and take longer to stop to not require winter tires and when the going gets icy kaboom! 

I have LT tires which are suppose to be great in the winter and I only hit the smallest patch of ice in a parking lot when coming to a stop and thought -- yikes these are bad!

[sailor723]

I had AT tires on the Pathfinder. Proper winter tires made all the difference in the world.

The new regional operator of ambulance service for NB decided that AT tires were good enough last year. After having 2 or 3 ambulances end up upside down in the ditch,paramedics complaining to the press and spending a ton of money for an "expert" to tell them that AT tires are not the same as winters, Blue Cross has decided to use winter tires this year.

Quebec would have been much better served to have just required proper snow tires (mountain and the snowflake logo)

[safristi]

..Tha GUB_MENT_ality .....is here to well i haven't quite figured them out!!! HELP U..HELP ME   HELP THEMSELVES........I'll pick CURTAIN THREE pleeze....

[gotak]

.... In Vancouver, when it snows, there are so many idiots on the roads with summer tires and no knowledge of winter/snow driving techniques, that it becomes a big crap shoot as to who will hit you first. I lived there for over 10 years and saw the carnage when a bit of wet snow falls......

In TO they give out a forgetfulness shot with the flu shot on the day before the first snow. ... or maybe they put something in the water all through October/November....

I think they give the forgetfullness shot when you get your final G license. The number of people who can't even keep a lane in scary.

[blur911]

The new regional operator of ambulance service for NB decided that AT tires were good enough last year. After having 2 or 3 ambulances end up upside down in the ditch,paramedics complaining to the press and spending a ton of money for an "expert" to tell them that AT tires are not the same as winters, Blue Cross has decided to use winter tires this year.

I was at a local tire dealer yesterday and a City of Kingston Fire Department car was out front with 2 new winter tires on the front only.  Apparently emergency services think they are immune to needing common sense in some areas.