Winter Driving & Tires

[Bubalouie]

Now that it's Oct. 1 , ICBC and others are posting about winter tires needed for high mountain passes. I know this has been debated and brought up by a lot of people......my question is: are tires with M & S on them ok, in other words, won't get a fine or do they have to have the mountain sign on them?????

[kgcayenne]

Gotta git yer snowflakes on.

[Bubalouie]

Hmmm, yet on the Kelowna Now website and even on the ICBC website, it says if they say M & S, that is ok.......

[Bubalouie]

[Dizzy1]

M+S tires are legal for use on the stretches where winter tires are required as long as the tread is good.

[GordonH]

ICBC vs RCMP
ICBC is okay with good tread M&S tires, meanwhile RCMP would rather see snowflake tires for upper highways.
For myself I use snowflakes tires error on the side of caution.

For those who have little to no storage maybe look into all weather tires they have improved over first generations/ years of production. All weather do have the snowflake rating.

[Bsuds]

local around town driving then All Season might get you by. The upper hwys I wouldn't travel without snowflake tires.
The difference is worth it, is your life?

[jimmy4321]

All seasons might get you around if you can afford to stay home on bad days like retired folks etc.
I went with the snow flake on some Wrangler Adventure's AT couple months ago and run them year round, get 2 full years out of them and don't have to talk to cops about my flakeless rubber.

I also had a tire guy tell me if I went with M/S tires It would be smart to carry chains for legal reasons,didn't influence my decision but wondering if this is true?

[Bsuds]

I also had a tire guy tell me if I went with M/S tires It would be smart to carry chains for legal reasons. Is this true?

There are signs on some Highways that state winter tires or carry chains beyond this point.

[my5cents]

There are signs on some Highways that state winter tires or carry chains beyond this point.

From the Motor Vehicle Act -

Safety equipment

208 (1) For the purpose of this section, "winter tire" means a tire that is

(a) advertised or represented by its manufacturer or a person in the business of selling tires to be a tire intended principally for winter use, and that provides, or is designed to provide, adequate traction in snow or mud; and

(b) in the condition respecting tread wear and other particulars the regulations prescribe.

(2) The minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act may, by public notice or by placing signs, prohibit vehicles from being driven or operated on a highway that are not equipped with chains, winter tires or sanding devices, or a combination of these the minister considers adequate and necessary in view of prevailing road conditions.

(3) For the purposes of a prosecution under this section, the onus is on the defendant to prove that a tire alleged not to be a winter tire is in fact a winter tire.

It's not the law you should be afraid of. Severe weather tires (snowflake) are made of a softer rubber. The M&S tires are too hard below +7 degrees. So if you are driving, even on the valley bottom, and it's below +7, it would be better to have snowflake tires. Too many people think that "snow tires" are just for snow. They are softer and give better traction in all cold weather condition, which does include snow. For those saying "I'll use M&S and carry chains". When your M&S tires are as hard as rock and you go off the road on a patch of ice, the money you saved won't matter a hill of beans.

[Dizzy1]

Personally I think "winter tires" is a much better term then "snow tires". Are M+S tires legal? Yup. Are they smart for our interior winters? Not really

[Glacier]

Laws and common sense are two completely different animals. For example, if you use studded tires in the winter and separate summer tires in the summer, you have to by law keep your studded tires on until April 30th even if it's +36 degrees outside (yes, it really gets that hot in April in BC). If you still have them on come May 1st you are breaking the law because studded tires are not allowed on your vehicle come May 1st. Another thing is that winter comes a solid month earlier in the north, but the laws are exactly the same there as they are here.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of the Nokian WRG all-weather tires -- winter tyres (Canadian spelling) with the snowflake that can be left on all summer.

If all else fails, use common sense. If that fails, let me know which roads you take so that I can plan my trips accordingly.

[Bsuds]

-- winter tyres (Canadian spelling)

"The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the word derives from attire, while other sources suggest a connection with the verb to tie. The spelling tyre is used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand after being revived in the 19th century. Both tyre and tire were used in the 15th and 16th centuries. The United States did not adopt the revival of tyre, and tire is the only spelling currently used there and in Canada."

[Bpeep]

I don't think you have to keep studded tires on till April 30 but you must have them off by then.

[Cumungala]

For sure you need winter tires in the mountains, but I definitely wouldn't drive without them in the valley bottom either. It is not worth the risk and you are putting others in danger as well.