Mounties remind public that winter tires required on Malahat

Winter tire sign on the Trans-Canada Highway in Langford, B.C., as seen on Dec. 13, 2021. (CTV News)

Mounties are reminding the public that vehicles must be equipped with winter-rated tires to travel over the Malahat highway.

A winter tire has a mountain and snowflake or the M + S symbol on the sidewall. The tires must also have a tread depth of at least 3.5 millimetres.

“Every year it's the same thing with urging motorists to insure they have snow-rated or mud and snow-rated tires when they are travelling on certain B.C. highways,” said West Shore RCMP Const. Alex Bérubé. “In the West Shore we have the Malahat and Bear Mountain Parkway and between Oct.1 and Mar. 30 motorists need to have proper tires in order to be travelling those roads.”

Bérubé says drivers that are found to be driving passenger vehicles without winter-rated tires on roadways where it is required face a fire of $121.

During the winter months, commercial vehicles with a licensed gross vehicle weight rating (GVW) under 11,794 kilograms must have winter tires or carry chains. Commercial vehicles with a licensed GVW more than 11,794 kilograms must carry chains.

Any highway or roadway requiring winter-rated tires in B.C. is clearly marked with road signs.

Bérubé says when vehicles travel on the Malahat without winter-rated tires, it poses a risk to other drivers and risks closure of the major artery in the event of a crash.

“Whenever there’s a collision that stops traffic on the Malahat, you’re not only stopping other travellers and commuters, you’re stopping business travellers,” said Bérubé. “The economy stops, it comes to a standstill because truckers are not able to move freely with their deliveries, so it creates a ripple effect down the road.”

Details on which routes on Vancouver Island and across B.C. require winter-rated tires can be found here.