Topic: Why *don't* Trucks use Winter Tires?

[random006]

I am sure there are people still on the fence or completely unconvinced about the value of winter tires.  The following story should help:

I was driving to Kinsgton from Montreal on Friday (Feb 7).  If you recall, there was one hell of a snow storm happening at that time.  There were several jackknifed trucks on the 20/401, ALL of them heading east.  In other words from Ontario into Quebec.  Same went for the cars in the ditch:  all eastbound.

The westbound traffic, was for the most part, Quebec registered vehicles, at least for the first hour or so.  There were no issues that we saw on the westbound side.

Gotta have those winter tires, folks.

To be fair, that's hardly what i would consider solid evidence...

It's an anecdote for sure but with an important underlying fact:  Cars registered in Quebec must have winter tires installed by law, while cars registered in Ontario do not.  Statistically speaking, it is likely that there will be more Quebec cars heading west on the QC side of the QC-ON border and more Ontario (or more properly non-QC) drivers heading east at the same border. 

What proves that it should be considered more than just a simple story is the sheer number of accidents that were heading in one direction and the absence of accidents heading in the other.  It begs the following question:

Why?

Given that the range in quality of both drivers and vehicles will be the same in both regions, the most likely answer is the mandated use of winter tires in one region and the absence of similar laws in the other.

[ChaosphereIX]

your driving skill cannot defeat the laws of physics and chemistry

get winter tires, commercial and consumer

[Fobroader]

your driving skill cannot defeat the laws of physics and chemistry

get winter tires, commercial and consumer

"Um excuse me??!?! The salesman at the dealership was adamant that this Santa Fe could like totally do anything and I would never get stuck so you are wrong"

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Our shipper at work doesn't like winter tires.  He says it makes people more dangerous because they'll drive more aggressively with them. 

There is nothing I can do to change the mind of somebody who thinks like that!

[ChaosphereIX]

Our shipper at work doesn't like winter tires.  He says it makes people more dangerous because they'll drive more aggressively with them. 

There is nothing I can do to change the mind of somebody who thinks like that!

they will drive aggressive even with summers on, it is that type of person...always at the edge of control

[Fobroader]

Our shipper at work doesn't like winter tires.  He says it makes people more dangerous because they'll drive more aggressively with them. 

There is nothing I can do to change the mind of somebody who thinks like that!

I've heard that idiocy before as well....yeah, this is why I saw breeding and voting should be regulated way more strictly.

[dirtyjeffer]

He says it makes people more dangerous because they'll drive more aggressively with them. 

i kind of understand his point though...while i would always recommend winter tires, some people (even myself sometimes) do drive a bit faster than we should, simply because we can...until we can't.

[Bulkley]

When it comes to the big trucks we are talking about so called professional drivers.  These are people who have special license to drive heavy vehicles.  So why are they involved in so many accidents?  As I type this Coquihalla Pass is shut down again because of a flipped semi.  A couple of weeks ago in another location three semis and a bus piled up.  Why?   Those drivers know better but drive recklessly anyway.   

[ktm525]

When it comes to the big trucks we are talking about so called professional drivers.  These are people who have special license to drive heavy vehicles.  So why are they involved in so many accidents?  As I type this Coquihalla Pass is shut down again because of a flipped semi.  A couple of weeks ago in another location three semis and a bus piled up.  Why?   Those drivers know better but drive recklessly anyway.

Professional? Professional left the building 20 years ago. Half the drivers running AB-BC probably got their licence in the mail or had their cousin take it. It's downright nasty out there. Exercise caution.

[sailor723]

Yep, combine drivers inexperienced in winter conditions with little or no proper training and an overwhelming financial pressure to "make time" and there you go.

[warp]

I am sure there are people still on the fence or completely unconvinced about the value of winter tires.  The following story should help:

I was driving to Kinsgton from Montreal on Friday (Feb 7).  If you recall, there was one hell of a snow storm happening at that time.  There were several jackknifed trucks on the 20/401, ALL of them heading east.  In other words from Ontario into Quebec.  Same went for the cars in the ditch:  all eastbound.

The westbound traffic, was for the most part, Quebec registered vehicles, at least for the first hour or so.  There were no issues that we saw on the westbound side.

Gotta have those winter tires, folks.

I had driven to Ottawa on the afternoon of February 6 in my SUV and on the drive east on the 401 what I noticed was that most personal vehicles had Quebec plates and this was in the Kingston to the 416 fork stretch of the highway. So it seems to be that whether east bound or west bound, in that stretch most personal vehicles are Quebec registered.

Having finished my work in Ottawa and ready to get back to the GTA, at about 10 pm that night with the big snow expected, I checked Google maps and saw significant "red" sections on the 401 in the Kingston area. So I wisely decided to take Highway 7 to Peterborough and then down to the 401 via 35/115. It was bad driving that night, whiteout conditions and about 20 cm on the ground. But at least on Hwy 7 there was minimal traffic.