Drivers using certain B.C. highways will now be required to keep their winter tires on for an extra month.
The province announced Wednesday that winter tire regulations in the Southern Interior and northern parts of the province will be in effect from Oct. 1 to April 30, instead of March 31, going forward. The extended timeframe is meant to account for early spring snowfall that is common on mountain passes and in rural areas.
The winter tire extension is one of several changes to highway safety measures issued by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. The ministry provided few specific details on the changes this week, saying it will be consulting with those in the trucking industry and other stakeholders in the coming months.
“I have heard from people and communities throughout the province that we need to take action to improve safety on our highways,” Minister Claire Trevena said in a statement.
“With that in mind, our government is moving quickly to implement changes that will ensure people are able to get where they need to go more safely through the winter months.”
