LOWER MAINLAND (NEWS1130) – If you’re trying to fit in an appointment to get your winter tires put on, good luck! With today’s snow, you can expect Metro Vancouver tire shops to be extra busy this week.
Once the snow hit the ground, customers at Fountain Tire on Clark Drive in East Vancouver started lining up to get the right tread for the conditions.
Owner Tom Irving says a lot of people think they don’t need them, and that’s just wrong.
“It’s funny because in the shop here, we always get told, ‘Oh, I’m from back east and I know how to drive in the snow.’ Nobody from back east knows how to drive in the snow we get in Vancouver. When you get your two or three inches of snow with slush and then it freezes,” explains Irving.
He’s urging people to get winter tires, even if it means trying to fit an extra appointment here and there, but not everyone gets the message.
“Most people do not have winter tires on their car and they don’t want to get caught between Christmas and New Years, not being able to drive around,” warns Irving.
Some people wait until the last minute, hoping they can get away without them, but we found some customers who aren’t taking any chances.
“My old ones were almost going to blow out; my old ones were at the end of their life,” says one woman.
Mike puts them on every year at this time to keep his family safe. “It’s just something you should do before the Christmas season; bring it in to the tire store and check the winter rating… and if they need replacing, it’s part of doing business.”
Many customers say they like having them for everyday driving, while others say it’s a must for holiday trips to the ski hill and the interior.
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i would have to agree.. winter tires saved my climb-up along cambie between the bridge up to about 20th. buses were stuck… all-season tire-equiped cars were spinning away… winter tires …slipped but kept me moving.
If tires are not an issue (ie: “it’s the driver, not the tires), then why do racing teams (WRC, F1.. etc..) choose tires depending on the weather?
@winter tire scam: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I went to work in a huge 4×4 with winter tires all around and we suffered. It was a hard go on the hills in New West.
I came home in a mini van with 4 brand new snow tires and we had some issues in places as well.
When the weather is like this even the best equipped vehicles are not guaranteed to travel trouble free, believe me.
winter tires are the biggest scam going around. just like this guy from fountain tire is doing, trying to sucker people into buying these more expensive tires. I have to laugh at the comment that driving in snow in Vancouver is more difficult than the east. I’ve driven in Vancouver snow with bald tires just fine. I’ve driven in Calgary winters most of my life with all seasons in -30s without ever having a problem.
If you can afford a car, you can afford winter tires. If not, look into storage insurance for the winter, or maybe a transit pass.
People who think otherwise should realize they’re not the only people on the road. My last car accident was during the first snowfall two years ago. Despite new winter tires and my car being stationary, I still got hit by a bad driver.