- Staff
- #1
Calgary, Alberta: City Alderman are proposing a bylaw that would require drivers to install Winter Tires, not just All-Season Tires.
On some days this winter, the slippery roads have seen hundreds of accidents, ranging from fender-benders to serious multi-vehicle collisions with injuries and fatalities. On Calgary's high-speed thoroughfares, like Deerfoot Trail, the snow and ice are taking their toll on drivers, and causing commute times to double and triple.
In some cases, the lack of traction is exacerbated by the type of tires drivers have on their vehicles; all-season tires simply do not perform as well in Calgary's sub-zero temperatures, a fact that prompted the Province of Quebec to enact a province-wide bylaw requiring Winter Tires on all passenger vehicles. One Calgary Alderman has proposed adopting such a law; to be debated by city council early next year, the law proposed by Ald.Diane Colley-Urquhart has triggered fierce debate.
It's a topic as timely as snow shovels in Calgary right now, with one alderman proposing a German-style traffic law for those who refuse to don winter treads on their vehicles:
Of course, the suggestion has divided local drivers, with some praising the idea, and others saying it stinks.
"I do not need the government telling me what to do... or in this case making a law to tell me what to do," wrote one reader.
Another driver said the proposed law was a great compromise.
"What a well -thought -out idea. There should be more intelligent laws/bylaws that hold the individual accountable instead of penalizing the masses, he wrote.
What do you think?
On some days this winter, the slippery roads have seen hundreds of accidents, ranging from fender-benders to serious multi-vehicle collisions with injuries and fatalities. On Calgary's high-speed thoroughfares, like Deerfoot Trail, the snow and ice are taking their toll on drivers, and causing commute times to double and triple.
In some cases, the lack of traction is exacerbated by the type of tires drivers have on their vehicles; all-season tires simply do not perform as well in Calgary's sub-zero temperatures, a fact that prompted the Province of Quebec to enact a province-wide bylaw requiring Winter Tires on all passenger vehicles. One Calgary Alderman has proposed adopting such a law; to be debated by city council early next year, the law proposed by Ald.Diane Colley-Urquhart has triggered fierce debate.
It's a topic as timely as snow shovels in Calgary right now, with one alderman proposing a German-style traffic law for those who refuse to don winter treads on their vehicles:
In Germany, snow tires aren't mandatory, but woe betide the driver who gets stuck or crashes while using all-season tires during winter conditions. The fine for delaying traffic with non-winter tires is about $70, plus demerit points on the driver's licence. The choice is with the motorist: Drive very carefully on all-season tires, or suffer the consequences.
Of course, the suggestion has divided local drivers, with some praising the idea, and others saying it stinks.
"I do not need the government telling me what to do... or in this case making a law to tell me what to do," wrote one reader.
Another driver said the proposed law was a great compromise.
"What a well -thought -out idea. There should be more intelligent laws/bylaws that hold the individual accountable instead of penalizing the masses, he wrote.
What do you think?