Winter tires with the three peaked mountain and snowflake symbol (stock photo courtesy of the B.C. Government / Flickr)

By Liam Verster

Time to Install Winter Tires

Winter tires requirement takes effect Oct. 1

Sep 24, 2025 | 12:41 PM

A road safety advocacy group is reminding people to get their tires replaced.

Starting Oct. 1, vehicles travelling on most B.C. highways will be required by law to be equipped with winter tires. Those include Highways 97, 6, 5/Coquihalla, and 1/Trans Canada.

The group Road Safety At Work urges people to get their winter tires installed sooner rather than later, and reminded people that they should be checked before being put on.

”Winter tires are only as good as their condition,” Trace Acres, spokesperson for Road Safety at Work’s annual Winter Driving Safety campaign, said in a release.

“Worn or damaged tires can be just as dangerous as no winter tires at all.”

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The group said winter tires should have a minimum tread depth of 3.5 milimetres, and should not have any cracks, bulges, missing chunks or uneven wear.

“A few minutes checking tread and condition can make the difference between stopping safely and sliding into a crash,” Acres stated.

Road Safety At Work added winter tires are better than all-seasons for more than just snow, frost and ice, as all-seasons lose some of their traction when temperatures fall below 7 degrees Celsius.

“Winter weather doesn’t wait for the calendar, and neither should drivers,” Acres added.

Winter tires with the M+S (mud and snow) symbol do meet the minimum B.C. legal standard for winter tires, though the advocacy group recommended people use tires with the three peaked mountain and snowflake symbol as they are better suited for snowy and cold conditions.

Winter tires are required on most B.C. highways until March 31, with the exception of those that go through mountain passes, including the Okanagan Connector, Coquihalla and Trans Canada, where the they are required until April 30.