Toonie could save you big
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It’s a deal that’s hard to beat: give your tires a quick check-up for only $2.
As winter is quickly materializing into an inevitability, ICBC is urging drivers to ensure they’re prepared for the winter. And preparedness starts with tires.
A fast way for drivers to check your tires, says ICBC, is to stick a toonie into the tread. If the tread of your tire does not reach the gold centre of the coin, it’s time to talk to a tire expert.
It is a critical time for drivers to prepare themselves for the winter as statistics show that car crashes, due to people driving too fast for conditions, doubles in December over October.
Driving to conditions is key, and drivers should expect to see flashing lights in their rear-view mirror even if they’re driving exactly to the posted speed limit.
“A lot of people out there believe that maintenance companies should keep the roads so clear that they can always drive the posted speed limit,” said Dave Turko. “The truth is that’s just not possible.”
Additionally, it’s not necessarily snow that causes concern on ICBC’s end, it’s the ice.
“Working at ICBC, I did claims for 14 years,” he said. “Any time it snows real hard people say ‘boy, you people must be busy.’ ... not generally.”
More than half of the collisions, which are attributed to driving too fast too conditions, were attributed to ice.
As Turko explains, it’s when the roads appear good that people begin to increase their speed and accidents start to occur.
ICBC highly encourages people to use dedicated winter tires, which are identified by a stamp on their sides of a snowflake bordered by a mountain.
Winter tires are specifically designed with a softer compound which adheres to the road better in sub-zero temperatures. As well the tires tread tapers allowing it to kick out snow as it drives.
Small sipes, essentially little cuts, allows the tire to grip ice better.
That said, if people want to risk it with an all-season tire, they, legally, could.
Corporal Mike O’Flynn, of Bulkley Valley Traffic Services, explains that in the winter people can use all-season tires, however they must be stamped M+S (mud and snow).
However he does urge people to use a severe-winter rated tire and points out that, in his experience and opinion, winter tires do, definitely, prevent accidents.
Typically the accidents he sees is to do with speeding relative to conditions.
“The posted speed limit is the maximum speed you can travel under ideal road conditions,” he said. “More often than not in the winter, when there’s still a bit of snow on the road they [drivers] think they should still be able to go the posted speed limit.”
A bit of common sense needs to be exercised by drivers who can still be pulled over for doing under than the speed limit when conditions get bad.
“If I think the conditions of the road are dictating maybe 60 or 70 km/h speed limit ... they could receive a ticket for speed relative to conditions.”
Back to the toonie tire check, that small test to determine tread depth will prove handy because even with a legal tire, if tread gets below 3.5 mm, drivers can face a fine.
And then you’ll be losing many, many toonies - the fine is $109.
And if you get caught speeding relative to conditions at the same time, that’s another $167.
RCMP do watch for properly equipped vehicles and, especially when snow starts to fall, you can expect to see officers out checking to see if you’re ready for the winter.
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