The City of Vancouver is reviewing whether it should have the ability to ticket drivers of vehicles that aren’t winter-ready.
Chief Engineer for the City of Vancouver Jerry Dobrovolny told Global News they have seen a share of delays caused by vehicles that don’t have proper winter tires, including two cars with summer tires that got stuck on a slope on Grandview Highway during Monday’s snowstorm, blocking two out of three lanes.
He says they want to look at what the rules are and what levers they have available to them as a municipality.
Under current winter driving regulations, winter tires are not mandatory in B.C.
However, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure can require them on certain roads and highways. If you’re driving on these roads without winter tires, police can ticket you and make you turn back.
ICBC recommends winter tires for driving in snow and ice. It says all season tires begin to lose their elasticity and grip on the road at temperatures below 7 C, according to Transport Canada.
Driving without winter tires will not void your insurance if you have a claim, according to ICBC. It also won’t mean you’re automatically at-fault in a crash. However, if you get in a crash where winter tires could have helped, not having them may affect whether, or how much, you are at fault.
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