Don't make them mandatory, but the concept of offering discounts for those who do go through the expense to get them, is not a bad idea.
Following in the steps of Quebec, Saskatchewan was pondering the idea of making winter tires mandatory for Saskatchewan drivers. If caught driving in the province between December 15 and March 15 without, penalties would run between $200 and $300.
While it's been proven winter tires can help when it comes to driving through snow and ice there are a couple of problems with forcing all drivers to comply - number one being the expense. At a cost of $60 to $700 per tire (that's the average when shopping at a Regina tire shop) let's face it, not every driver could afford the expense. The second problem is enforcement. Can we really expect RCMP to tail every driver through rain, through snow, through sleet, through hail to examine tire treads? And will this be just another reason for a random check stop? What about tire quality? Is a five year old winter tire really going to be superior to a brand new all season? Which will be considered acceptable?
"The most important thing to remember (winter tires aside)," reminds Kelley Brinkworth, a Saskatchewan Government Insurance spokesperson, "is to slow down and leave more space between you and the vehicle front. Sometimes when people have winter tires it might give them a bit of a false sense of security that they can drive according to the speed limit." And these are the things that are really key.
Fortunately, Saskatchewan has opted, at least for now, to leave the matter be. While winter tires are recommended, it remains up to the individual driver to make the call.
A recent study conducted by the Rubber Association of Canada says that 23 per cent of Saskatchewan drivers currently use winter tires. If the benefits have been proven, rather than enforce and penalize, why not offer and incentive to entice drivers to comply? Much like we reward safe motorists, a cut in insurance just may go a long way towards turning the situation around.
Happy driving!
