This is interesting. Alternate Route (Oct 10, 2008 - Snows? Oui Whee), via the Montreal Gazette (here), is reporting that in Quebec, starting this year and running between December 15 and March 15, all passenger vehicles will be required to be equipped with snow tires.
Each police station will have to decide how enforce this, as no across-the-board procedures have been put forth as of yet. Sûreté du Québec Sergeant Mélanie Paul said, "For now, we have no specific operations planned, but simply put, officers who stop someone for another infraction will be checking if the car has winter tires."
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Good move, in my opinion.
I wouldn't be surprised if certain committee members owned tire shops.
The grip, control, and braking distance is like night and day with and without snow tires in these snow countries. Try one yourself, and you'll say thank god the law was passed...
LOL, estreka.
This seems a bit extreme, though. What about people who don't drive while it's snowing? Are you going to pull them over on a sunny day in December?
"What about people who don't drive while it's snowing?"
Don't drive when it's snowing? You not from Quebec (or anywhere north) are you?
I grew up in the Ottawa, Ontario area and if you didn't drive in the snow then you would have to park your car in the fall and leave it to spring. There was almost always snow on some or all of your route.
It is possible to just not drive when it snows where I live now (Vancouver) but not really in Quebec.
its gonna save lives too many people don't have brains enough to slow down in winter or take the existing weather conditions into consideration...i'm all for it
This better not happen in Ontario! It's almost winter in Canada and the Canadian legislators are at it again. Well, at least in the province of Quebec...so far. As of November 1, all registered car owners in that province are required to have winter tires on their vehicles. All season radials are no longer good enough, no...not even after all these decades where they were just fine. Everyone who owns a car must go out and plunk down $800 to $1000 for a set of winter tires. They say they are doing this to cut down on winter accidents and therefore save lives. Well, what about all the people who are smart and leave their cars at home when it snows and roads aren't yet plowed? Hey, I'm one of those people. I take public transportation on those days. I only drive in winter when the roads are clear...meaning, I have to see pavement or I stay off the roads. Why do I need snow tires? I also listen to weather reports and if there's a chance of snow, I also leave my car at home. If, by chance, I'm taken by surprise and it does snow, I drive home very carefully and way below the speed limit. I take surface streets (no highways) and I leave a big distance between myself and the car ahead AND when I'm approaching a light, I start to slow down very, very early. I definitely do not drive like I would in summer! And, hey legislators, where am I suppose to put my set of tires (winter or summer) when they are not in use? I live in one large room that I rent. Am I supposed to bring the tires up the staircase and put them in the middle of my one room??? And when I change my tires for winter (or for summer) do I have to rent a u-haul to take those 4 tires to the shop so they can be put on? I certainly can't get all four in the trunk of my car or onto my back seat!!! What in the world in the legislature thinking of when they pass laws like this? Do you really care about people? Do you think we all have $800 to $1000 just lying around? I'd have no choice but to put in on a credit card and I already have a $1000 balance which has been there for over a year and I can't seem to make a dent in it! And you know what? Even with snow tires, I STILL wouldn't drive in snowy weather, so why should I have to buy snow tires? It's like taking all that money and throwing it in the trash! Come on, Mr. and Mrs. Legislature, you are smart people...at least I think you are. You know there are smart drivers out there who simply do not drive on snow-covered roads. You must know this. So why punish them?? Wouldn't it be smarter to have bigger fines and stiffer penalties for accidents, even minor fender benders, caused by people who don't drive according to weather conditions? People cause accidents, not all season radial tires!