AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill that would have required Maine drivers to use winter or all-season tires between Oct. 2 and April 30 of each year has failed in the state legislature.
State Rep. David McCrea (D-Fort Fairfield) introduced H.P. 176 on Jan. 22. The bill was ordered printed and referred to the Maine House Committee on Transportation.
On Feb. 5, the state Senate placed the bill in the legislative files, according to the Maine legislature's website. This means the bill is officially dead, the website said.
In Canada, winter tires have been mandatory during winter months in the province of Quebec since 2009. The province recently extended the period by two weeks, moving the starting date for installation on passenger vehicles and taxis to Dec. 1 from Dec. 15, starting in 2019.
The end date of the mandatory period remains at March 15. The law does not apply to commercial vehicles or light trucks.