Is it Legal to Use Chains in Winter?
If you have ever traveled to Europe in wintertime, you probably noticed that many motorists on that side of the pond put chains on their tires to drive on snowy or slippery roads. In fact, most drivers in Europe’s alpine regions, where there’s heavy snowfall, swear by them.
Here in North America, chains are mandatory if you want to take Nevada’s Reno Freeway in winter. Snowfalls of more than 60 centimetres in a few hours aren’t uncommon in this region of the Sierra Nevada, and since Californian cars don’t have winter tires, legislators found that chains were an adequate solution.
So why don’t we use chains more often north of the 40th parallel? After all, we’ve certainly got abundant snow and precipitation. There are generally no regulations or restrictions for tire chains in all provinces and territories, with one exception. Quebec legislation prohibits their use on most vehicles with the following exceptions: emergency vehicles, farm tractors and any road vehicle used for snow removal and winter maintenance.Another alternative would be studded tires, but they are either not recommended or banned outright in most interior parking lots, American border states and even in Southern Ontario.
At the end of the day, the only option for most motorists remains getting good quality winter tires.