4 ms·

> Politicians largely don't want to touch this issue, I think, because they're often the target of blame when the roads are insufficiently cleared and people ha

> Politicians largely don't want to touch this issue, I think, because they're often the target of blame when the roads are insufficiently cleared and people have trouble getting around. I think they don't want to touch this issue because it's really hard to solve. You can write a law saying all vehicles need winterized tires during that time of year. But how exactly would you enforce it? We already struggle to enforce something as simple as an outdated inspection sticker which can be determined at a glance on the road. How exactly would you enforce something that can't be determined as easily? Without the ability to enforce this sort of law, reducing or eliminating road salt would result in far more traffic, accidents, injuries, and deaths.

krger 3y ago
>You can write a law saying all vehicles need winterized tires during that time of year. As a matter of fact, Quebec already has one[1]. >But how exactly would you enforce it? The easiest way is probably similar to inspection sticker enforcement: by having the responding officer check the tires whenever a driver goes off the road, gets in an accident, or is otherwise pulled over. No winter tires? Enjoy a fat fine. Will some drivers get away with it? Of course. You're never going to get 100% compliance. There are still people who live in states other than New Hampshire that still don't wear their seat belts. [1]: https://www.quebec.ca/en/transports/traffic-road-safety/driving-in-winter/requirements-for-winter-tires https://www.quebec.ca/en/transports/traffic-road-safety/driv...
- Ichthypresbyter 3y ago
  >As a matter of fact, Quebec already has one. So does Colorado [0], though only on certain roads. It's always in effect from September to May on I-70 west of Denver, and the state police can put it into effect on other roads when needed. Though it's not great in terms of requirements- 4WD vehicles don't need winter tires, and M+S rated tires are considered sufficient on a 2WD vehicle. [0]https://www.codot.gov/travel/winter-driving/tractionlaw https://www.codot.gov/travel/winter-driving/tractionlaw
macNchz 3y ago
As the other poster pointed out, compliance with winter tire rules is a solved problem, as it is done in Quebec and various parts of Europe. That said, what I was trying to say there is that politicians don't want to touch the "too much salt" issue–not the tires issue–because at least so far, it's been like buying IBM: "nobody gets fired for telling the DOT to go hogwild with the salt". They only get bad press if they're not perceived to have done enough to get the roads clear.
sokoloff 3y ago
I used to run summer and winter tires on my old Mercedes diesel (rear drive). I have a driveway, a garage, and tools (including air tools) and it was still a pain in the ass. People without that need a place to store 4 bulky, dirty, heavy tires, and a way to get them to/from whomever is going to swap them. People who live in an urban setting would likely find that pretty annoying. I also drive so little that one set of tires ages out before they wear out. Now, I’d have twice as many tires aging out, which is an economic and ecological problem of its own.

krger 3y ago

>You can write a law saying all vehicles need winterized tires during that time of year. As a matter of fact, Quebec already has one[1]. >But how exactly would you enforce it? The easiest way is probably similar to inspection sticker enforcement: by having the responding officer check the tires whenever a driver goes off the road, gets in an accident, or is otherwise pulled over. No winter tires? Enjoy a fat fine. Will some drivers get away with it? Of course. You're never going to get 100% compliance. There are still people who live in states other than New Hampshire that still don't wear their seat belts. [1]: https://www.quebec.ca/en/transports/traffic-road-safety/driving-in-winter/requirements-for-winter-tires https://www.quebec.ca/en/transports/traffic-road-safety/driv...

Ichthypresbyter 3y ago
>As a matter of fact, Quebec already has one. So does Colorado [0], though only on certain roads. It's always in effect from September to May on I-70 west of Denver, and the state police can put it into effect on other roads when needed. Though it's not great in terms of requirements- 4WD vehicles don't need winter tires, and M+S rated tires are considered sufficient on a 2WD vehicle. [0]https://www.codot.gov/travel/winter-driving/tractionlaw https://www.codot.gov/travel/winter-driving/tractionlaw

macNchz 3y ago

As the other poster pointed out, compliance with winter tire rules is a solved problem, as it is done in Quebec and various parts of Europe. That said, what I was trying to say there is that politicians don't want to touch the "too much salt" issue–not the tires issue–because at least so far, it's been like buying IBM: "nobody gets fired for telling the DOT to go hogwild with the salt". They only get bad press if they're not perceived to have done enough to get the roads clear.

sokoloff 3y ago

I used to run summer and winter tires on my old Mercedes diesel (rear drive). I have a driveway, a garage, and tools (including air tools) and it was still a pain in the ass. People without that need a place to store 4 bulky, dirty, heavy tires, and a way to get them to/from whomever is going to swap them. People who live in an urban setting would likely find that pretty annoying. I also drive so little that one set of tires ages out before they wear out. Now, I’d have twice as many tires aging out, which is an economic and ecological problem of its own.