VERNON – Good news for Okanagan motorists who haven’t had their winter tires installed. Even though they are now mandatory, RCMP are taking a practical approach to enforcement at least until the snow gets a little closer.
Starting October 1, the province says you must have winter tires when driving on most interior highways. However, while winter rules are here, winter weather hasn’t yet arrived in the valley and the RCMP seem to be taking that into account.
But Bell says that will change with the weather.
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“When the weather starts to deteriorate…then we are going to be sending our members out to ensure drivers have the proper winter tires on the their vehicles,” he says.
If you are caught not following the winter tire rules, you could be fined.
The province says tires marked with m + s or carrying the mountain/snowflake symbol both count as winter tires. However, the Ministry of Transportation says tires with the mountain/snowflake symbol are a better bet.
“The RCMP and the ministry agree that for winter driving conditions a tire with a mountain/snowflake symbol is the best choice – because it provides the best traction in severe snow conditions,” said a ministry spokesperson in a statement.
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