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EDITORIAL: It’s time winter tire use became law in Ontario

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The Ontario government should consider making snow tire use mandatory during the winter months, perhaps emulating Quebec’s law that demands such tire use from Dec. 15 to March 15.

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Winter tires have proven to be effective during the colder months. Experts say they provide better traction in sub-zero temperatures, they allow for better handling in snow and on ice, and the braking distance of a vehicle equipped for winter tires can be reduced by as much as 25 per cent.

Indeed, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation urges drivers to consider the installation of four winter tires.

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“Regular or all-season tires, including wide and high-performance tires, may be adequate in some areas, but may not be suitable for driving in the snowbelt regions of southern Ontario and throughout the north,” says an on-line brochure published by the ministry. “If you live and drive in these areas, consider using winter tires. They provide better traction, braking and handling during frost, snow, slush, and particularly under icy conditions. Installing four winter tires provides greater control and stability.”

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And yet the Ontario government has so far refused to make such tire use mandatory. Former Liberal transportation minister Steven Del Duca, when asked the question a year ago, said the province had no plans for such legislation.

It’s doubtful the Ford government would even consider the idea. The Progressive Conservatives are focused on cutting regulations in Ontario, not adding to them – even when they would have the potential to save many lives.

The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada, which has an obvious vested interest in this discussion, notes that 65 per cent of Ontario drivers (and approximately half of all drivers west of Ontario) already use winter tires. The association notes that winter tires are already mandatory in Quebec during the colder months, and further says that in Atlantic Canada, more than 80 per cent of drivers equip their vehicles with winter tires.

Common sense would dictate that drivers in Ontario would equip their vehicles with winter tires. But many of them don’t, despite all of the evidence that suggests they would be safer, and the use of such tires would make their own vehicles less of a hazard on winter roads.

It’s up to the government to step in and ensure that winter tire use in Ontario is universal.

– Peter Epp

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