Sacré Pneu! Quebec Mandates Winter Tires and the People Rejoice—or at Least Don’t Revolt

Drive down the streets of Montreal in the winter and you'll notice a curious automotive fashion trend: Aftermarket wheels are everywhere, from high-end rims on Audis to rusted steelies on Saturns. It's no style statement. Rather, it's the result of a 2008 law mandating that all passenger vehicles registered in Quebec wear winter tires between December 15 and March 15 whether they're parked on Sainte-Catherine Street or trudging up the James Bay Road. It's the only such requirement in North America. Car owners who don't comply face fines of up to $300. (That's Canadian; as this is written, exchange rates mean that in U.S. dollars it's right around . . . $300.) Quebec makes exceptions only for vehicles registered outside the province or for snowbirds who spend their winters in less hazardous climates. Starting in 2014, approved rubber must bear the winter-tire pictogram of a snowflake and a mountain. There's sound reasoning behind the policy. As anyone who lives in the Snowbelt should know, winter-tire treads are molded with compounds that don't stiffen when temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. That gives them better grip than all-season tires, not only on snow and ice, but also on dry, cold pavement. Between 80 and 90 percent of Quebec drivers already knew that and, therefore, shod their cars appropriately prior to 2008. The 10 to 20 percent who didn't, however, were involved in two-thirds of the wintertime accidents. According to Guillaume Beaurivage, Transports Québec spokesman, the winter-tire law has yielded an 18-percent reduction in accidents over pre-2008 levels, a number that's held steady for the past five years. Serious accidents—those resulting in death or severe injury—dropped by 36 percent. Another interesting government statistic: About 96 percent of Quebec drivers say they agree with the law. A similar mandate in the U.S. would've inspired guys in tricorn hats to publicly misquote Thomas Paine, but Quebecois gave a collective Gallic shrug. Comparison Test: Winter Tire Test Instrumented Test: 2013 Honda Accord Sedan 2.4L Manual Long-Term Road Test Wrap-Up: 2011 Audi Q7 TDI Quattro "It's safety for everyone," Beaurivage says. "Everyone on the road knows if their car is well-equipped with tires, that it's safe for them and for others." After the law's passage, some consumers grumbled about tire shortages and overzealous police enforcement, but most motorists seemed to agree they didn't want to get into an accident because another driver didn't have enough sense to use winter tires. In spite of the success, though, similar laws aren't gaining traction elsewhere. Saskatchewan was the only place in North America that appeared to be following Quebec's lead, but it scrapped plans for a winter-tire requirement last year. Like poutine, Bloc Québécois, and Moving Day, the winter-tire mandate—even though it's proven to be a lifesaver—seems to be a phenomenon unique to la belle province. Read full story » from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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