Winter road rules kick in across B.C.; upgraded tires required on many highways commonly travelled by Albertans
If you're B.C.-bound, bear in mind Saturday was the day winter road rules kicked in across the province to the left of us.
That means a mandatory tire upgrade.
Provincewide through March 31, drivers are expected to obey winter tire and chain signs, and through April 30 on many of the roads visiting Albertans would be navigating, such as mountain and rural routes in high-snowfall areas.
Trace Acres, program director for Road Safety at Work, which manages the Shift into Winter campaign, is quoted on the campaign's website as saying it is not too soon to get ready for snow, ice or whatever else the weather wills.
“The best way to help keep yourself and your passengers safe is to start preparing for winter now and plan ahead,” Acres said.
“Waiting until the first storm hits is too late.”
B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure lists four types of tires that are legal on those marked roads during the winter months.
These are studded tires, winter-rated tires, all-weather tires and all-season tires.
The first three tire types are marked with a three-peaked mountain and a snowflake on the sidewall, while all-season tires are marked with an M+S on the sidewall.
The ministry says all four types must have a minimum tread depth of 3.5 mm.
Winter tires specifically are what the ministry recommends "for maximum stability in cold weather and on ice, snow and slush."
Only 35 per cent of those who responded to a survey conducted by Road Safety at Work in 2021 believed "driving in snow or ice without winter tires, chains or other traction devices is extremely perilous."
Only 19 per cent believed "it’s extremely dangerous to drive without winter tires, chains or other traction devices when it’s not snowing or icy."
“Driving in winter conditions is a risk every single time you get behind the wheel,” Acres is quoted as saying on the Shift into Winter campaign website.
“We all need to understand that and do our part to improve our winter driving behaviours and practices.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Bob Cole, veteran CBC broadcaster and former voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada,' dead at 90
Bob Cole, legendary CBC broadcaster and former voice of Hockey Night in Canada, has died. He was 90.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.