Should Winter Tires Be Mandatory?

   In Quebec they are. In mountainous parts of British Columbia they are. But in other parts of Canada they are not, and most provincial governments say they have no plans to enact such a regulation. But it does make for an interesting conversation, like the one Danny and I had this morning. With winter not just knocking, but pounding on the door, we talked about whether or not their use should be required, not simply recommended.
   Here's the problem: The cost. I did a quick search, and found the cheapest price I could get tires for would still set me back $200. Without taxes. Or steel rims, which at a minimum would run me another 160 bucks. But because I'm having to commute between Yorkton and Regina, I'm thinking it may well be worth the expense, especially having to use highway 10, and dealing with the Qu'Appelle Valley.
   Danny and I also chatted about SGI perhaps looking at a rebate of some kind for people to get winter skins on their vehicles. Not much, perhaps, but enough to entice people like me who take to the highways a little added incentive. Something akin to the good driver discount on auto insurance. Admittedly, that's not likely to happen, so I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and fork over about 500 bucks for rims and tires, and the taxes. If I want to go cheap, which may not be an option, since I have nowhere in Yorkton to store my all-seasons. Even with that, it's still a better investment than having to pay a towing company to get me out of the ditch at -30 with ice and snow, then pay the deductible on insurance.

TTFN