From Oct. 1, vehicles travelling on most B.C. highways outside the Lower Mainland or Greater Victoria must use winter tires or, for commercial vehicles, chains.
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Winter tire requirements begin every year on Oct. 1 for vehicles travelling on most B.C. highways outside the Lower Mainland or Greater Victoria. Depending on the highway, the requirement remains in effect until either March 31 or April 30.
For commercial vehicles, the requirement can be met with chains. Winter tires for the season must be labelled on the sidewall with either the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol or the letters “M” and “S.”
Drivers are reminded that winter tires are considered worn out when they have less than 3.5 mm of tread, which is different from the summer tire minimum of 1.6 mm. DriveSmartBC notes that many vehicles do not send out alerts until the tires reach the summer minimum tread.
The requirements also include fines for improper tires. If a driver has no proper winter tires on a route that requires them, the fine is $121 and two penalty points on the person’s driver’s licence. If the tread depth is below 3.5 mm, the fine is $109.
DriveSmartBC recommends that drivers travelling routes outside the Lower Mainland check the requirements for the specific highway they will be taking.
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