'Fine' idea heads to council

Why does the city insist on creating traffic problem over someone that slides into the ditch . On the QE2 if there?s no reported injuries, you sit in your car and wait for a cop to come along and take you someplace warm. Then you?ll wait until either traffic or weather allows for a safe tow out of the ditch. Last night they started towing cars at around 9pm, some of those had been in the ditch for 12 hours.

Maybe one reason is that a car in the ditch attracts other cars.

Coming to work this morning on the highway, one car went into the center ditch from my side, and then another one went in on the other side a few minutes after that, maybe 50-100 meters apart.
Some people panic when they see a car in the ditch, others just rubberneck, stare or take their eyes of the road and either slow down traffic or cause rear-end accidents.

...and we've had the "winter tire law" for 2 years now.

If the government wants to buy me winter tires sure I'll put them on.

Reasonably skilled drivers have no problem driving in the winter with all seasons.

That happens here too, not a big problem for the cops to come out and give them a ride to the closest Tims. It also gives other drivers a hint that maybe they should slow down a bit.

That happens here too, not a big problem for the cops to come out and give them a ride to the closest Tims. It also gives other drivers a hint that maybe they should slow down a bit.


The only 'hint' that anyone should require is 'drive according to weather/road conditions'. Last night, driving home, a trip that normally takes 20 mins took me almost 1 hour. Today road conditions tell me "STAY HOME"!

Perhaps, but the law was made for people maybe not as skillful as you.

Or for the straight out idiots who think they can drive the same
way in summer as in winter.


Having 4 postcards in contact with the road, I keep summer and winter tires.


Same law in Austria as well, will probably spread across Europe in a few years.

Quebec created this winter tire law last year. Wonder why she has to go to Germany to look how the law works when we have one in our own backyard.

Do I resent having to get snow tires myself? Yes, I've driven in worse winters than here in Quebec most of my life and with All Seasons. As mentioned above you just have to realise what you are driving in and adjust your driving accordingly.

However as was also noted I am not the only one on the road. If nim-wit summer tires dude drving like it July is sliding towards me it is very hard to take safe evasive action when I don't have the best traction I can have on my car. So while I got them because its both the law and it protects me (I figure at least 1/3 of the people in Gatineau don't use them yet) I still think it was a big tax grab for the province as well when they were looking for money in the midst of a recession. Take the PST off $800 and times it by half the cars in Quebec and you got a good payday.

Truthfully everyone should be required to pass 2 driving tests, 1 for summer and 1 for winter. Too many people get their licenses and have no practical experience driving on snow and ice, then there are those that come here from warm temperate climates and haven't even seen snow yet are allowed to drive in it without demonstrating their competance before hand.
I honestly haven't ever had an accident in the winter, I slow down and don't follow too close as well as keep my eyes on the road, sometimes it's unavoidable when faced with a slip sliding moron headed for you at 50k in a 30 zone, but good awareness and defensive driving should be enough, unfortunatly the majority can't drive safe in Summer let alone winter and that as I see it is the problem.

Soooo let me ge this straight. If you don't buy snow tires( several hundred dollar expense) you could potentially get a fine for 35 bucks, 70 bucks if you slide off the road.
So that means I can get 10 tickets at the lower amount in a season and still come out ahead financially than if I buy snow tires.
Shit, they hand out bigger fines "just" for parking in handicapped spaces.

The only way to make it work, AND STICK, is to make the fine more costly than the tires.

That's actually a pretty good idea.

Just like you need a different licence to drive a bus than you do to drive a car, you could have a different licence or an extended tag for your summer licence so you can drive in snow.

That's really not a bad idea for down here in the states, too.

That's actually a pretty good idea.

Just like you need a different licence to drive a bus than you do to drive a car, you could have a different licence or an extended tag for your summer licence so you can drive in snow.

That's really not a bad idea for down here in the states, too.

Thanks, I'm also in favor of retesting every 5 years or so, it would discurage the bad habits people pick up and probably get like 30% of the morons off the roads.

I agree testing needs to be done more frequently.


As for winter tires, never owned a set in 30 years of driving in Alberta never had an accident or got stuck . This winter I decided to give it a shot and put a set of Blizzaks on both vehicles..holy crap I can't tell you how much difference it makes. Feels like both vehicles are now AWD. Anybody who thinks a set of all seasons is good enough for driving in Alberta really needs to give winter tires a shot.