Police conduct third annual winter tire blitz

Police recently checked about 400 vehicles for winter tires over a four hour period on the Connector.

During the enforcement on October 10, officers issued several fines including:

•             One commercial vehicle faced a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP);

•             Four commercial vehicles were taken out of service due to alcohol and drug violations;

•             Six commercial vehicles were cited for violations and turnarounds, which included inadequate tire treads and travelling without winter tires and chains.

In addition to the commercial vehicles, 16 personal vehicles were turned away for having insufficient tire tread or not using winter-approved tires or chains.

During the blitz, officers also attended two local elementary school zones, resulting in five motor vehicle act tickets for speeding in a school zone, along with nine warnings including seat belt violations.

“This marks the third consecutive year and I am astonished how many individuals fail to adhere to these simple rules that are in place to ensure the safety of everyone on our roadways,” Const. Mike Della-Paolera with the Kelowna Regional RCMP said.

Winter tires or chains are required on most routes in British Columbia from October 1 to April 30. For select highways not located through mountain passes and/or high snowfall areas, tire and chain requirements end March 31.

Winter tires must display a mountain peak with a snowflake and/or the letters “M” and “S” (Mud and Snow).

A legal winter tire (on a standard passenger vehicle or a four-wheel/all-wheel vehicle) must also have at least 3.5 mm of tread depth.

Visit the BC Government’s Winter Driving link for more information.