BC Winter Tire Law & Winter Tips

If you've driven on BC highways during the winter months, you know how precarious the road conditions can be and how important it is to have proper tires.

As of October 1, BC law requires that all vehicles travelling on specific highways have winter tires.  Along with the province, trucking associations are also reminding drivers to prepare for the winter conditions before it is too late.

Most accidents happen around the first snowfall and there have already been sightings of early snowfall on northern B.C. roadways. If safety concerns aren't enough to make you invest in winter tires, perhaps the fines will be.  If caught on a designated highway without proper tires, you could face a fine of over 100 dollars for either not having snow tires, or not having a proper depth of at least 3.5 mm. You need either M+S rated all season tires or a tire with the snowflake symbol on the side.  You can view a map of the highways and what is required here. 

Why put on your winter tires before the snow? Because it’s not just about the snow. It’s about the temperature. Summer and all-season tires have a different rubber compound that’s designed to stay flexible at temperatures above 7 C. They’re as hard and unable to grip ice as a hockey puck when the thermometer dips below 7 C.

Remember that tire pressure also changes with the colder weather.  For every 12 degree Celsius drop in temperature, a tire will lose another pound of pressure. So a tire left unchecked from the time it was filled to 35 psi on a 27-degree Celsius day in May is down by 12 psi on a -1-degree Celsius day in November. That under-inflation will affect fuel economy and wet traction, and also increase tire wear.

   Prepare an emergency car kit
   Always have winter safety and emergency equipment in your car. A basic car kit should contain the                  following:

• Food that won't spoil, such as energy bars
• Water—plastic bottles that won't break if the water freezes (replace them every six months)
• Blanket
• Extra clothing and shoes or boots
• First aid kit with seatbelt cutter
• Small shovel, scraper and snowbrush
• Candle in a deep can and matches
• Wind‑up flashlight
• Whistle—in case you need to attract attention

    Items to keep in your trunk:

• Sand, salt or cat litter (non-clumping)
• Antifreeze and windshield washer fluid
• Tow rope
• Jumper cables
• Warning light or road flares

 

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