It is that time of year again when temperatures start to drop for the incoming winter season, leading to potentially dangerous driving conditions on some B.C. highways.
The official date for winter tires to be required for some highways is just around the corner on Oct. 1.
Mounties in Merritt are reminding the public to make sure they have their winter tires on, especially for the Coquihalla Highway and Highway 97C.
“Winter tires or chains are required on most routes in British Columbia from October 1st to April 30th,” Merritt RCMP Staff Sgt. Josh Roda said in a release.
“These routes are marked with regulatory signs posted on highways throughout the province.”
Excluding the Lower Mainland and southeastern Vancouver Island, winter tires or chains are required on most B.C. routes from Oct. 1 to April 30, though for some highways the requirement ends on March 31.
A legal winter tire is defined as having at least 3.5 millimetres of tread depth plus the letters M and S or a three-peak mountain/snowflake symbol.
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Failing to put the proper tires on vehicles could result in a $121 fine and a tow.
The province recommends that drivers install mountain snowflake tires for cold-weather driving, and, for extreme conditions, carry chains. All-weather tires also bear the mountain snowflake but don’t perform as well as winter tires.
It also notes that chains on summer tires are not an acceptable substitute for winter tires on signed B.C. highways.
Motorists are also advised to check the condition of their winter tires, including tread death. Tread depth can be checked with a tread-depth gauge or a coin.
More information about winter tires in B.C., and the routes where they’re required, is available on the government’s website.
— with files from Doyle Potenteau
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