Winter tire rule enforcement in BC

[Preserved]

Hey,

This is a little off topic, so delete if you must (whoever keeps track).

Renting a car to ski in BC, will cross passes etc. The car is a Jeep Cherokee, but I bet it does not have snow tires or chains. Just how strict are the police for the "snow tire law"?

PK

[kalisto]

Never had a tire check except when driving the 99 from Vancouver -> Whistler. That includes some gnarly storms through rogers pass and having to sit for 1/2 day waiting for blasting.

That said, I'm assuming in an accident, your insurance would be void, or maybe you would just be considered at fault if another party was involved. Not sure of the legalities there, but something to consider.

[nickel]

get snow tires fuck.

[cat in january]

I rented a car in Spokane and snow tires could not be found at any rental. Picked up chains and bungies at Walmart, but returned as not used. Did not have a problem at the border and when the mounty impounded my vehicle for excessive speed (when leaving Nelson, make sure you are well clear of town because even though it looks like rural highway it is still 50km and they will take your car) he didn't comment. If you can get the winter tires

[skimaxpower]

Buy chains, return if not needed.

[Preserved]

Spokane as well. None of the rental car companies have a vehicle with snow tires. The Walmart idea is a good one. Walmart isn't far from GEG. Thanks!

[XXX-er]

When they walk by the car upside down in the ditch they notice if it doesn't have snow tires otherwise you don't really get checks eh?

I rented a car in Spokane and snow tires could not be found at any rental. Picked up chains and bungies at Walmart, but returned as not used. Did not have a problem at the border and when the mounty impounded my vehicle for excessive speed (when leaving Nelson, make sure you are well clear of town because even though it looks like rural highway it is still 50km and they will take your car) he didn't comment. If you can get the winter tires

from a recent thread its questionable whether a rental car from the excited states in BC might not be insured which you would only findf out if you have an accident?

or you could call a detachment and ask the desk guy on general duty

I thot usually you can't return tire chains even if you don't use them altho its probably easy to get it past a walmart associate


> 40 years ago I went thru an RCMP snow tire check going up seymour mtn, when I slowed he saw my tires and waved me thru, good thing cuz some one had a joint going

[nickinbc]

Pretty sure a rental car will have all-seasons with the M+S stamp and probably 3.5 mm tread. Unfortunately, the BC Ministry of Transportation consider those 'winter' tires (though RCMP do have the discretion to call them 'inappropriate for conditions' if they find them attached to something embedded in a snowbank).

Personally I would want something much better than that on my wheels in winter mountain conditions.

[uglymoney]

We rented in Spokane and drove up. Nobody checked. You only need snows on the highways, not in towns. You don't really have a choice to rent a car with snows so don't sweat it.

[HHTELE]

Last year I rented in Calgary, and got all season tires. They sucked. I went back an hour later, explained that I was quite sure I would wreck that car, and figured they would just give me one with snows. They didn't seem concerenred, and the best they would do is swap me for a car with snow tires, and have me pay the difference. So, I essentially was charged exactly what somebody getting off a plane with no reservation would pay.

This year I rented an AWD. Much more expensive. It actually came with decent M and S tires. It's a Traverse, and it takes 1/4 tank to get from Golden to Rogers Pass Visitor center.

[Snow Dog]

I've only been checked once in Squamish but it was an information check because the regulation was new. Greater Vancouver is excluded from the snow tire requirement so most vehicles have the usual all season junk. The vehicle must have severe weather (mountain and snow flake symbol) or M+S on the tire. Having chains or AWD doesn't matter. Rental cars generally have all season and that's that.

[spotted dogs]

Get the best tires you can. No sense ruining a vacation cause of tires. We live in BC and run full winters from oct over to April. Most of the highways and passes leading to the best skiing will require them. Don't get fooled by all seasons on an AWD; we see plenty of coasties up from Van upside down in the ditch in AWD.

[cmcrawfo]

If you rent the vehicle in BC, its possible tol get a vehicle with winter tires if you ask in advance.

I have rented from Budget, and enterprise and have always been able to find a winter tire option ( unfortunately, a few times that meant renting a truck).

In the unlikely event that you got caught, the fine is about $120. Not having winter tires will not void your insurance.

I was checked once, 4 years ago in the interior of BC, driving one of the least mountainous roads in the province.....

when I slowed he saw my tires and waved me thru, good thing cuz some one had a joint going.

[Angle Parking]

More relevant than winter tire enforcement in BC is the fact the fact that driving in BC without winter tires is just plain stupid. Rental companies are being irresponsible in not offering them and so is anybody who chooses to drive without them.

[spotted dogs]

^^^* yup

[D(C)]

I've never been checked.

As others have said, you want winter tires if you're driving over passes. We have this compact snow stuff that I had never seen until I moved out here (frozen slush and insufficient plowing), and that stuff is slick and persists long after it has snowed.

[Preserved]

Thanks everyone. I agree about proper snow tires. We run them here from November 1 to April 1 & wouldn't be without.

I'll check out tires at Budget for the M+S stamp but I bet they don't have it. I also looked into getting chains from Budget and of course the use of chains is forbidden.

PK.

[Island Bay]

We flew into Calgary and picked up our rental car there. Had a really hard time booking one with snow tires, and had to pay a good deal more, but we would have been toast without them.

Calgary to Castle Mountain: Easy, dry roads.

Castle Mountain to Fernie: Full blizzard conditions, and there was a check point at the BC border.

Fernie to Nelson: Full blizzard conditions, wolves on the Kootenay Pass, more than a foot of snow on the road.

Nelson to Banff: Fine, then full blizzard on the Alberta side.

We were in a Nissan sedan, but with the proper tires never had any problems. With normal tires we would have needed chains on all the major legs.

[XXX-er]

I

In the unlikely event that you got caught, the fine is about $120. Not having winter tires will not void your insurance.
.

There was recently a thread asking/talking about insurance (which never really got answered) the question being if you rent a car in The USA and drive it into Canada do you have the right insurance?

In BC if a car is not insured or has lapsed insurance when a cop pulls you over the car does not move until it gets insured period

the fine last time I looked was >600$

[uglymoney]

Call your US insurance company and get them to issue a Canadian insurance card. We did that with our company and it was no problem and no charge. Took about a week for them to send it. It also got us out of having to pay the rental car company for insurance. Again we rented a awd vehicle in Spokane without snows because they were unavailable.

[Tronnytron]

Just got back from a Vancouver to Calgary trip skiing every place on the Mountain Collective and was never checked for snow tires. I had them and they were needed. It will make your trip more enjoyable knowing you can stop on snowpacked roads.

[spotted dogs]

Sunday. On way east to Kelowna.