Winter tires required on most B.C. highways starting Oct. 1

Winter tires or chains are mandatory for all vehicles on most British Columbia highways starting Tuesday.

The rules come into effectevery year starting on Oct. 1, and last until March 31, or April 30 for select highways such as mountain passes and rural routes in high snowfall areas.

Many highways in the Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Island are exempt because of the more temperate climate along the South Coast, except for routes such as the Malahat section of Highway 1.

The winter-tire requirement covers:

• All highways in northern B.C.;

• All highways in the Interior;

• Sections of some highways on the South Coast, including the Sea to Sky Highway;

• Sections of some highways on Vancouver Island.

Trucks and heavy vehicles weighing more than 11.78 tonnes will also have to carry chains on those routes.

In B.C., appropriate winter tires are defined as those with either the M+S (mud and snow) or mountain/snowflake symbol, in good condition, and with a minimum tread depth of 3.5 millimetres.

A full map of the highways that require winter tires can be found on the Transportation Ministry's website. Passenger vehicles not equipped with winter tires whererequired could be fined $121, according to the province.

Commercial vehicles not carrying chains can be fined $196 while commercial vehicles bypassing an active chain up area could be fined $598.

"Winter tires aren't just for snow and ice. They also provide better traction in rain and the cooler temperatures we're already seeing at night," said Trace Acres, program director of Road Safety at Work, a WorkSafeBC-funded organization, in a news release.

"They're one of the best safety features on any vehicle at this time of year. Putting them on now, before poor weather really hits, can help keep drivers and their passengers safe."