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Make winter tires mandatory: Rustad

It's time the province made winter tires mandatory on B.C. roads, Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad said Thursday.
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It's time the province made winter tires mandatory on B.C. roads, Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad said Thursday.

The Liberal MLA is considering introducing a private member's bill on the issue, which would be modeled on legislation that took effect in Quebec in 2008. Drivers in that province face fines of $200 to $300 for not having winter tires on their vehicles between Dec. 15 and March 15.

"It is something that I think is important and particularly I think is important for northern B.C. and some of the rural areas such as the Kootenays," said Rustad.

Rustad said there is evidence the Quebec bill reduced winter accidents dramatically. Last month, the eastern province released data showing an 18 per cent reduction in the number of road accidents during Dec. 15 to March 15 2009 compared to a 13 per cent reduction for the rest of the year.

The bill has been criticized because it's difficult for officers to spot cars without winter tires and that it raises the cost of driving.

Rustad said the cost issue is misleading.

"People say... you need to have two sets of tires instead of one," said Rustad. "That's a bit of a red herring. If you're driving on winter tires six months of the year and you're driving on all-seasons six months of the year, you get the same wear and tear on those tires, so you don't replace them as often. It's not like you've got a year's worth of wear and tear on both tires."

However, he acknowledged there would be variations from region to region in how the law would be applied.

"I would put a blanket policy across the province in terms of winter tires during winter conditions," said Rustad. "So obviously winter conditions in northern B.C. are different from winter conditions in the lower mainland or perhaps even in the Victoria area. They may have a few weeks a year where they have winter driving conditions, so they'd have to deal with it, whereas we have winter conditions from mid-October through to mid-April."

He also hoped to see all vehicles equipped with electronic stability control, a technology that automatically assists drivers if they're caught in a skid.

A Prince George lawyer, Glen Nicholson, is among those urging the federal government to make such technology mandatory in new vehicles. Rustad said the province alone cannot make ESC compulsory but said there is movement in Ottawa towards regulating its use.

Rustad's call comes as four people have died this week in two separate motor vehicle accidents around the area.