The calendar has turned from September to October and, even though it may seem early, you’ll need to throw those winter tires on the car if you want to drive on B.C. highways.
Winter tire and chain regulations will remain in effect from Oct. 1 until March 31.
Although mountain passes may not see much snow in the coming weeks, police still are able to enforce those rules starting today.
RCMP, Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement and other policing agencies can give you a $109 fine for not having the proper winter tires and you can also be prevented from travelling.
Winter tires must have the M+S logo on them, along with 3.5 millimetre tread.
However, the provincial government highly recommends using mountain snowflake tires and carrying chains while driving high mountain passes like the Coquihalla or Connector.
“It is the responsibility of the operator of any vehicle to understand the conditions on the roads they regularly drive and equip their vehicle for those conditions to ensure their own safety and the safety of others on the road,” says the government website.
The Pennask summit on the Connector has already seen some snow over the weekend and more is expected throughout the week.
Click this link to learn more about winter tires.
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