So you think snow tires are too expensive, what's your life worth?
Me, Yannick, the girls, we’re all winter tire drivers. In fact we store two of our cars until they get shipped to California because they don’t have the appropriate tires. We’re the people who stay home on days when the plows haven’t been out on the roads yet. Yes I recognize that we have the good fortune of being able to work from home, and that for the most part Murdoch is wrapped before real winter hits the city. Not everybody has these luxuries, so I understand that some people just absolutely have to be out driving on the roads regardless of the conditions.
To which I say IF you cannot work from home, then for the love of God, and mostly for yourself, put winter tires on your vehicle. Most places are on the stick about the importance of winter tires. Quebec mandated it back in 2007, many European countries have done the same.
Why should the government be in the business of winter tires and whether this should be a law or not? Well first and foremost for every single accident on the road it can cost an exorbitant amount of money in tax dollars cleaning up a large accident, never-mind the medical expenses under our social health care, just to point out a couple of reasons off the top of my head. Also, everybody knows that the rubber composition of a summer tire, or even an all season tire are not adequate to handle the conditions of cold roads. The road doesn’t even need to have snow on it for an all season to be rendered almost useless, but even when the temperature drops below a certain temperature changes how they respond and handle. Our winter tires go on first week of November and stay on until last week of March. Without fail this is our winter tire schedule. It’s just common sense that rubber will react differently to the road at every temperature, which is why, and this slays me, winter tires should never be used in the summer…the heat of the asphalt wears them down unevenly and prematurely. Talk about a serious waste of money.
In some European countries, as seen here in this article, https://www.blackcircles.com/tyres/winter-tyres/laws-and-legislation if you don’t have them on, and you’re involved in a crash, your insurance becomes null and void. To which I say AMEN. Why should I be at risk for injury and damage to my car just because you didn’t want to put snow tires on??? Seriously, you know me, I’m the first person to say the government needs to not be in so much of our business. But this, the winter tire thing, I’m all for. I 1000% back it.
Some of you have mentioned that you don’t believe that it would curb accidents because you feel people would start to drive like they’re the kings of the road, pulling more asshole maneuvers, and feeling generally invincible. Well, according to this article, http://www.millerthomson.com/en/blog/mt-insurance-law-blog/does-the-failure-to-equip-a-vehicle-with/ the stats show that there are not only less accidents, but less fatal ones as well.
Anyway, the likelihood of me changing an anti-snow tire person’s mind with these few articles and the fact that I’m a winter tire fan, how about I just leave this here. Most people argue against the extra cost for winter tires, to which I only have this to say… https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bridgestone-Blizzak-Ws80-215-70R15-Tire-98T/43075223?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227040437949&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=82686597289&wl4=pla-183143731729&wl5=9031147&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=43075223&wl13=&veh=sem
For every financial situation there is always an affordable solution. Besides I like to think that my life, and the life of anybody else I might injure in an accident, was worth more than $250.00. I’m just saying, it is something to consider.
