Is it time to make winter tires mandatory?

[calgaryblood]

I would be in favor of a law making winter tires mandatory.

Similar to how people without kids don't know how it feels to have kids, you don't know how great it is to have winter tires until you've driven on some.

They make a huge difference and with Alberta's weather I think it's time we make them mandatory.

[Huntingwhale]

They make a difference sure, but IMO not enough to reduce the amount of collisions we see every winter. Ever since I've had mine I notice maybe an extra 20% grip when I need it. Definitely not the super improvement I was expecting. More then anything, I find they give me confidence to drive on those slippery roads (to Sunshine, etc).

It's still driver error that leads to most collisions. Has there been a study somewhere in one of the provinces that makes it mandatory that actually shows it reduces collisions? I've never seen one, but I'd be on board if there was proof it works.

[Lubicon]

Are they a good idea - yes.
Are they effective - yes.
Should people use them - yes.

Should they be mandatory - absolutely not. Not enough reason or justification to make them mandatory. Honestly in Calgary they might be useful a total of 30 days a year, certainly not enough to make them mandatory. I don't mind the idea of how BC has done it, whereby they have mandated that certain highways require the use of winter rated tires.

[OMG!WTF!]

Great. More giant dbag trucks speeding past everyone in a blizzard going "It's not that bad out here you bunch a p'ssies"

Just kidding. I wouldn't want mandatory snow tires but maybe all seasons with the snow flake that they require when driving through parts of the mountains. That would at least get rid of the real problem...people with horrible tires just trying not to die.

[skudr248]

People who don't know how to drive on winter roads should be placed on mandatory riding the bus duty for winter.

[ben voyonsdonc]

I think that they should be mandatory - ideally, the government would offer a tax credit for the purchase to help off-set the cost.

[Red]

Would be funny to see the NDP propose that. If people revolted over Bill 6 I dont know what we would face here.

But more to point, aren't winter tires already mandatory in Ontario and Quebec ?

[puckedoff]

I don't think they should be mandatory. I have two vehicles, I put snow tires on one and then I rarely need to drive the other when roads are bad (like today). Would prefer not to have to buy an extra set of snow tires. Both vehicles have 4x4 anyways.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

They make a difference sure, but IMO not enough to reduce the amount of collisions we see every winter. Ever since I've had mine I notice maybe an extra 20% grip when I need it. Definitely not the super improvement I was expecting. More then anything, I find they give me confidence to drive on those slippery roads (to Sunshine, etc).

It's still driver error that leads to most collisions. Has there been a study somewhere in one of the provinces that makes it mandatory that actually shows it reduces collisions? I've never seen one, but I'd be on board if there was proof it works.

I don't see the downside though. It helps you stop faster and not slip as easily. Isn't that enough to make it mandatory when we are driving vehicles that weigh as much as they do and can cause serious damage and injury?

Even if driver error is the main source for collisions, winter tires would help. there has been studies and they've shown winter tires to reduce collisions. In Quebec they saw a 5% decrease in accidents and in Germany they saw it almost slashed in half.

[calf]

Originally Posted by puckedoff

I don't think they should be mandatory. I have two vehicles, I put snow tires on one and then I rarely need to drive the other when roads are bad (like today). Would prefer not to have to buy an extra set of snow tires. Both vehicles have 4x4 anyways.

4X4 doesn't help with stopping though

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

They make a difference sure, but IMO not enough to reduce the amount of collisions we see every winter. Ever since I've had mine I notice maybe an extra 20% grip when I need it. Definitely not the super improvement I was expecting. More then anything, I find they give me confidence to drive on those slippery roads (to Sunshine, etc).

It's still driver error that leads to most collisions. Has there been a study somewhere in one of the provinces that makes it mandatory that actually shows it reduces collisions? I've never seen one, but I'd be on board if there was proof it works.

https://ama.ab.ca/2014/10/13/install-winter-tires/

Quebec is the only province in Canada that mandates the use of winter tires from December 15 – March 15 each winter, with fines for noncompliance in the $200-$300 range. Since the regulations came into effect in 2008, winter collisions have fallen by 17%.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

I don't see the downside though. It helps you stop faster and not slip as easily. Isn't that enough to make it mandatory when we are driving vehicles that weigh as much as they do and can cause serious damage and injury?

Even if driver error is the main source for collisions, winter tires would help. there has been studies and they've shown winter tires to reduce collisions. In Quebec they saw a 5% decrease in accidents and in Germany they saw it almost slashed in half.

And thats the problem.

There is no downside to winter tires other than: cost and convenience.

Where do you store them? Where do you store your summer tires when the winters are on?

Having them changed every year.

You have to decide if you want two sets of tires on rims so they're easier to change, well, then that costs more because you have to buy rims, and then you have to store them.

If you dont buy rims then you have to go to a (super busy) tire shop every year and get them changed.

The thing is, its a fairly significant thing to legislate onto people who may not have the resources.

I do it. I have two sets of tires, on rims, and I swap them back and forth every year. But I have the tools, the time and the space to store them. And I'm sure a lot of people do, but some people dont and we cant just ignore them.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by calf

4X4 doesn't help with stopping though

Maybe not, but it does help me drive over the person in front of me monster truck style.

[Fuzz]

A mandatory winter driving course would be more useful.

[iggy_oi]

I think they should be mandatory inclusion with a new vehicle purchase. You essentially double the life of your tires if you choose to change them and going forward it should contribute to less cars on the road not having them. Calgary's winters are pretty inconsistent so making them mandatory seems a little harsh, but having them and knowing the benefits should in theory entice people to use them.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Locke

And thats the problem.

There is no downside to winter tires other than: cost and convenience.

Where do you store them? Where do you store your summer tires when the winters are on?

Having them changed every year.

You have to decide if you want two sets of tires on rims so they're easier to change, well, then that costs more because you have to buy rims, and then you have to store them.

If you dont buy rims then you have to go to a (super busy) tire shop every year and get them changed.

The thing is, its a fairly significant thing to legislate onto people who may not have the resources.

I do it. I have two sets of tires, on rims, and I swap them back and forth every year. But I have the tools, the time and the space to store them. And I'm sure a lot of people do, but some people dont and we cant just ignore them.

You don't have to do that anymore. They've got some great winter rated all seasons.

You essentially double the life of your tires if you choose to change them

Oh god no more math!

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Locke

And thats the problem.

There is no downside to winter tires other than: cost and convenience.

Where do you store them? Where do you store your summer tires when the winters are on?

Having them changed every year.

You have to decide if you want two sets of tires on rims so they're easier to change, well, then that costs more because you have to buy rims, and then you have to store them.

If you dont buy rims then you have to go to a (super busy) tire shop every year and get them changed.

The thing is, its a fairly significant thing to legislate onto people who may not have the resources.

I do it. I have two sets of tires, on rims, and I swap them back and forth every year. But I have the tools, the time and the space to store them. And I'm sure a lot of people do, but some people dont and we cant just ignore them.

That's my take as well, I have winter tires, I think they're great. But they cost about $800-$1000+ upfront, and then you've gotta deal with changing them over twice a year. I pay about $100 twice a year to store my winter/summer tires with the dealership, and truth be told is a bit of a pain to schedule a tire swap along with the regular oil changes and such.

I think they are well worth the price, but I don't think it's a trivial cost to pass along to all drivers.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by calf

4X4 doesn't help with stopping though

not driving like an idiot helps with stopping.

[mrkajz44]

I'm all for it - using them reduces collisions (based on those quebec numbers) and we get enough snow events for them to be worthwhile. Another benefit that others have no mentioned is less productivity lost with accidents clogging the roads. I personally was over 30 minutes late to work; multiply that by a couple hundred thousand people driving and the lost man hours add up pretty quick.

I also don't buy the cost as being an issue. As others have pointed out, having winter tires basically doubles the lifetime of both your summer and winter tires. Also, considering most people are spending $10-20k+ on their vehicles, I find it hard to argue that the extra $1k or so for winters with rims would break their bank. If the tires were mandatory, just add that to the cost of selling and car and include it in their loans so the cost is spread out over time.

Honestly, people spend so much money on their vehicles, but when it comes to the one thing that actually touches the road, extra costs are suddenly too much to bear. So odd.

[Ryan Coke]

An insurance discount for having winter tires would seem like the better way to go.