Should Winter Tires be Necessary?

[TylerSVT]

Quebec introduced this law last year and looking at it i'm starting to believe that Alberta needs to implement a similar law. Seriously i've seen wayyy too many people sliding all over the place because they figure all-seasons are good enough for -15 and tons of snow... Which just isnt the case.

I run winters on my truck and my whole family runs them because for 500-600 bucks i can save myself a lot of headache and the safety has no price.

What do you guys think?

[Ironhorse]

That law is about 3 years old now, IIRC.

I like the idea, but the narrow mindedness of the masses in this province will never let it pass.

[Cheerio]

I agree, winter tires should definitely be mandatory in Alberta.

[Regular_John]

After spending two days driving without them before I got them installed last week they do make a HUGE difference. But it's asking a lot to spend an additional $500+ to outfit a vehicle.

[Mtt48]

Big difference between winters in Quebec and Calgary. Calgary gets 1/20th of the snow they get out there.

Also, the government telling everyone that they have to shell out 500$ for winter tires doesn't strike me as something that will go over well with a largely conservative, less-government-interference-the-better mentality that is so prevalent here.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Mtt48

Big difference between winters in Quebec and Calgary. Calgary gets 1/20th of the snow they get out there.

Also, the government telling everyone that they have to shell out 500$ for winter tires doesn't strike me as something that will go over well with a largely conservative, less-government-interference-the-better mentality that is so prevalent here.

It's not just the $500+ for winter tires, there's also the storage of those tires and potential extra set of steelies. For people living in the core in apartments, storing tires for 6 months of the year would be a huge additional cost.

[Locke]

I think we live in a society where people are entitled to make their own decisions without the Government having to incessantly tell people whats best for them.

[Frequitude]

I'm sure they help lots, but they should not be mandatory. That's absurd. People should learn how to drive.

[anyonebutedmonton]

Just bought my first set of winters online to be shipped in a few days...

I was driving my stock tires that came with the vehicle (probably the cheapest tires ever) so this was a necessity. Also picked up a set for the wife so she will have a bit more confidence driving in the winter.

It's asking a lot of some people to shell out for these but in all honesty its a prudent financial decision. You spend what typically amounts to a deductible in order to greatly decrease your chance of accident and lengthen the life of your summer tires.

[mikey_the_redneck]

OR.........people could just learn to adjust their driving in bad weather and show some patience.

[Jimmy Stang]

Although initially they are a financial hit, once you have them you'll be replacing your tires half as often. In the end, you'll probably pay a pretty similar amount for tires over the life of your car.

I use them and think that everyone should, but I don't know whether making it law is the best way. It would be interesting to see if the insurance industry could/should reward people who use winter tires as they are less likely to end up kissing the rear end of another vehicle, thus reducing the likelihood of a claim. Either way, regulating it and administering it would be a nightmare.

But it is frustrating seeing people sliding around on all seasons in these temperatures. I think that part of the misconception is that winter tires are for snow. Although they help, winter tires are actually a different rubber compound and perform better in cold temperatures (which we do get a lot of here), and icy conditions (which we also get a lot of here).

[FlameOn]

Aside from people driving like madmen in the winter, I think another huge problem is that the auto manufacturer's give out crappy crappy OEM all season tires with new car purchases for the most part. For example my Acura I got a set Michelin MXM4, my friends Mitsubishi Lancer had a set of Dunlop 5000M and another friend got a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE92A. These tires are all rated as deathtraps in winter conditions on customer survey and track test results.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/index.jsp

Swapped out the tires for a much better set of all seasons... no problems anymore. Maybe the government should mandate a minimum tire quality standards for new cars

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

OR.........people could just learn to adjust their driving in bad weather and show some patience.

I've been winter driving my whole life in Saskatchewan and Alberta and have never been in or caused an accident with my all seasons. I'm sure winter tires are great for some people but superior driving skills trump all.

Winter tires should not be mandatory. Driver training should.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

I've been winter driving my whole life in Saskatchewan and Alberta and have never been in or caused an accident with my all seasons. I'm sure winter tires are great for some people but superior driving skills trump all.

Winter tires should not be mandatory. Driver training should.

How would driving training help you get moving when you are stuck on an icy hill in bumper to bumper traffic like all the people this week on the overpass near my place?

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by Burninator

How would driving training help you get moving when you are stuck on an icy hill in bumper to bumper traffic like all the people this week on the overpass near my place?

Teach one how to avoid area's that might cause them trouble? I have been driving around for the past week in super low profile, high performance summer tires and have not yet been a hinderance to traffic nor have I come close to causing an accident. Planning ahead, avoiding trouble spots, driving on 50/60KM/h roads instead of 70/80KM/h roads and understanding your vehicle are all a big help in this weather.

For the record, I do have winters and I am putting them on ASAP, just haven't had a chance to do so yet.

[speede5]

Winter tires rock and even good drivers can see benefits from them. I have them on the family van. Just being able to take off from a standstill on ice makes them worth it.

Actually forcing people to have them is wrong, just having the equipment won't make anyone safer.

Also a lot of people in Quebec are driving on them year round to ease the burden of a second set, which wears them out faster and makes them less effective, so how are they making the roads any safer?

Something tells me the tire companies have good lobbists......

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by Burninator

How would driving training help you get moving when you are stuck on an icy hill in bumper to bumper traffic like all the people this week on the overpass near my place?

Honestly, I've never been stuck getting up a hill with all seasons. As long as my tires aren't bald it has never been a problem. If the weather/road conditions are so bad that I don't think my vehicle can handle it, I make alternate arrangements. Simple as that.

[MJM]

For every accident caused by someone not having winter tires, there's one caused by some idiot driving like a madman he they do have winter tired. I can't see it having a much of effect on winter driving in Alberta if it was manditory.

In Quebec, the big freezing for it is the freezing rain of which we have very little.

[KelVarnsen]

Maybe the city should clean the roads properly...

[mykalberta]

I think good all seasons with the right vehicle would be fine.

I have a rear wheel vechicle with no weight in the back so its a must for me. After changing them on Wednesday I noticed a huge difference.

If you are FWD then you should be fine if you know how to drive.