TORONTO (Nov. 17, 2016) — Canadian drivers are adopting winter tires in record numbers, according to a new survey commissioned by the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC).
Outside Quebec, where winter tires are the law, 61 per cent of Canadian drivers now use winter tires. The survey's findings, when compared to an identical study in 2014, show double-digit or near double-digit increases in all regions outside of Quebec.
Winter tire use by region, excluding Quebec, is as follows:
- Nearly half (49 per cent) of British Columbia drivers now own winter tires, compared with 38 percent in 2014;
- Alberta's usage rate is now 55 percent vs. 45 percent in 2014;
- In Manitoba and Saskatchewan usage has climbed 11 percentage points to 50 percent;
- 65 percent of Ontario drivers now use winter tires, up from 56 percent in 2014;
- In Atlantic Canada, where winter tire usage is traditionally second only to Quebec, usage has risen eight percentage points to 81 percent.
Among the 30 percent of drivers still not using winter tires, the belief that all-season tires provide sufficient traction (48 per cent) and cost (23 per cent) are the most common barriers to adopting winter tires.