aknutson & Gardiner Westbound - You know the benefits of winter tires, no doubt they help with braking and control and clearly has other benefits such as less accidents, injuries, property damage and economic benefits (yes, taxing drivers) and we wouldn't have these drivers driving on summer/all-season tires who can't climb a hill due to no traction.
You can mandate winter tires, can't mandate intelligent drivers unfortunately.
You're absolutely right, winter tires do offer better performance in cold weather, but I still think that should be the choice of the driver and not enforced by law. For all the benefits winter tires provide below zero, they offer an opposite effect when the temperature rises. So what about all the drivers who try to 'kill off' the last of their winter tires by driving them through the spring? Consumer Reports found that winter tires have a much longer braking distance than even all-seasons as the temp rises, so then do we mandate that all people have summer tires? Do you get a ticket if you have winter tires on past March? What about rental cars, those don't have winter tires, that should be mandated too. In fact, we all know loud stereos can cause permanent hearing damage, let's put a limiter on car stereo volumes. You see where this train of thought ends up? Anything could be regulated, but as a generally intelligent species, we need to be able to have some common sense and personal responsibility outside our government regulations.
As much as I am baffled by some of the stupid drivers on the road, I admit that the average person is pretty intelligent when it comes to getting done what they need to do. Nobody wants to get into an accident, drivers should be offered better winter training and preparation for maintaining control in slippery conditions, and then given the choice how they use those skills. Freedom is important to me, and I know how to drive my car - if for some reason I don't want to buy winter tires, that should be my choice...unless the feds want to buy me a set of new winters! lol.