Winter tires and the Sea to Sky Hwy.

[Kite]

Can someone confirm that M&S (mud and snow) tires are sufficient to get through the road blocks sometimes set up Alice lake?

According to this link (2008): http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?si...contentId=7418 M&S tires (or chains onboard) are sufficient but I've heard from many people that tires with the severe weather symbol (snowflake inside a mountain) are necessary.

Anyone know?

[jlenko]

I've been turned away with M&S before.

M&S = all weather tires... not winter tires. If you don't have a snowflake.. (or chains!) and conditions are bad enough, you *could* get turned away... but there isn't always a check on.

Of course.. if you lose control of your vehicle.. you're going to be paying your collision deductible and higher insurance premiums as a result... so.. is it worth it?

[Soundy]

If you're not going to be making the trip enough to worry about a whole other set of snows, why not just pick up a set of chains to carry in the winter? Cambodian Tire has them for around $100. Might find them cheaper at somewhere like Princess Auto.

[johny]

the problem with chains is deciding when to stop and put them on. this likly happens midway through a 360 into a ditch "hmm should have put them on earlier"

and finding somewhere to stop and safly do it.

[Soundy]

They also come in handy when the cop asks "Do you have chains with you? No? Okay, GTFO."

[sebberry]

Don't cheap out. Get proper tires.

[Kite]

I'm not asking if I should get snow tires, or how well M&S tires perform. My question was whether M&S tires were sufficient (according to BC law) to drive the S2S.

I live in Squamish and am more than prepared. I drive this Hwy all the time. I'm not wondering for my vehicle, but more so for friends who will come and visit.

[skidmark]

http://www.drivesmartbc.ca/equipment...r-carry-chains

[Kite]

Originally Posted by skidmark

http://www.drivesmartbc.ca/equipment...r-carry-chains

Thanks for the link.


More:

208 (1) For the purpose of this section, "winter tire" means a tire that is

(a) advertised or represented by its manufacturer or a person in the business of selling tires to be a tire intended principally for winter use, and that provides, or is designed to provide, adequate traction in snow or mud; and
(b) in the condition respecting tread wear and other particulars the regulations prescribe.
(2) The minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act may, by public notice or by placing signs, prohibit vehicles from being driven or operated on a highway that are not equipped with chains, winter tires or sanding devices, or a combination of these the minister considers adequate and necessary in view of prevailing road conditions.
(3) For the purposes of a prosecution under this section, the onus is on the defendant to prove that a tire alleged not to be a winter tire is in fact a winter tire.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/t...winter-424.htm

[gars]

i remember trying to get up to Elfin Lakes to do some backcountry touring. I read the night before that the road going up is completely covered with snow, and winter tires and chains are a MUST. I know I don't have either, so I decided to try to make it up to at least the chain-up area, drop my car off there, and just hike in.

Turns out my car couldn't even make it to the chainup area. Luckily, a nice guy picks us up and gives us a ride to the trailhead. Halfway down the road (it honestly just looked like a ski trail), there was a truck parked, with a bunch of guys having some coffee. Right up the road was an F150 Harley Davidson Edition stuck and abandoned - with just regular all season tires. The idiot wasn't even polite enough enough to pull over, he just decided to block the road.

Little did I know that 6 grown men can actually push a truck off the road, when there is snow on the ground, and we were on our merry way again!

[alwaysideways]

So is it chains for all 4 tires? or just chains for 2?

[baggdis300]

Originally Posted by alwaysideways

So is it chains for all 4 tires? or just chains for 2?

whats the point of moving if you can't steer?

[TOS'd]

Originally Posted by baggdis300

whats the point of moving if you can't steer?

what if its on the front wheels....lol

[baggdis300]

ithought of that right after i posted, but i have not owned a single fwd car so that doesn't apply to me.

[TOS'd]

but other ppl own fwd cars, and this isnt your thread.

[johny]

aparently M&S is good, taken from another form

Thank you for writing to us.

The following is a link to our recent news release on winter tires.

http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?si...ontentId=17182

The relevant information with respect to winter tires requirement can be found in the above-noted web link.

In addition, you may find more information about winter tires at The Rubber Association of Canada http://www.rubberassociation.ca/ and Transport Canada http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/s...-index-468.htm

There are detailed chain-up information at the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure page: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/chains/ Chain requirement is for commercial vehicle and vehicles without winter tires.

All season tires without the M+S rating do not fit the definition of winter tires as defined in Sec. 208 of the Motor Vehicle Act.

All season tires with the M+S rating do fit the definition prescribed in Sec. 208. However, one should think of the rating of these tires barely fit the legal definition of winter tires.

For those who enjoy outdoor activities during winter in some part of the province, they should get the better winter tires - with the pictograph of a snowflake and peaked mountain. With the proper driving techniques and good winter tires, people will find themselves arriving at their winter sports destinations instead of getting stuck in a snowy ditch.

The M+S rating means the tread has wider gap. It may not provide adequate friction in snow and on ice during severe winter weather. The tires with the pictograph of a snowflake and peaked mountain are made from material that wouldn't stiffen up the rubber during cold temperature, in addition to the wider gap.

With the manufacturers marketing tires with new design every year, you may also wish to consult your local tire professionals at tire shops.

If you have further traffic-related enquiries, please contact us at EDIV_RCMP_HQ_Traffic_Services@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

For other traffic-related information, please visit our web site at www.traffic.bc.rcmp.ca

Regards,

BC RCMP Traffic Services

[RevRav]

Some also say A/4WD + all season tire is enough too...without any M+S or chain.

[unxetas]

Originally Posted by TOS'd

but other ppl own fwd cars, and this isnt your thread.

Still, having traction on front wheels only doesn't sound very smart to me. With the amount of traction you'd get from chains up front, versus bare tires in the rear, hitting the brakes could easily send you backwards into the nearest ditch.

It would be an awesome way (only way? ) to have fun in a fwd car!

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by unxetas

Still, having traction on front wheels only doesn't sound very smart to me. With the amount of traction you'd get from chains up front, versus bare tires in the rear, hitting the brakes could easily send you backwards into the nearest ditch.

It would be an awesome way (only way? ) to have fun in a fwd car!

Chains aren't meant to be DRIVEN on. They're meant to get you out of a situation or through a particularly bad spot. That's why trucks put them on at the bottom of a long hill, and take them off at the top - they're only used where the extra traction is needed. You shouldn't use them for long distances, and you certainly shouldn't use them to go very fast.