The provincial government will examine what qualifies as a winter tire as part of its highway speed limit review.
The province designates some highways, including Highway 16 east and west of Prince George and Highway 97 north and south of the city, as mandatory winter tire roadways between Oct. 1 and April 30.
Currently two types of tires are recognized by the government as being sufficient for winter roads - winter tires with a "mountain snowflake" logo on the sidewall and mud and snow traction tires with an "M+S" on the sidewall. The review will look to determine if both types of tire should continue to be accepted as winter tires.
"We encourage drivers who are planning to drive on routes requiring winter tires this season to choose the best tires possible, and to ensure their tires are in good condition," Transportation Minister Todd Stone said in a news release. "Tires with the mountain snowflake symbol, which are specifically designed to meet cold weather performance standards, are the best choice for safe travel in winter conditions."
According to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, this winter police will accept both types of tires so long as they're in good condition with a minimum tread depth of 3.5 millimetres. In severe weather conditions, police have the authority to order vehicles to turn around if they don't have sufficient tires.
