FocusCanada Forums

Full Version: Rick Mercer's Rant On Snow Tires..
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Not sure how many people watch the Rick Mercer report, but lastnight, his rant was regarding the use (or lack thereof) of winter tires.

He makes a very good point...

Rick Mercer rants about the need for Snow tires

Amen, hallelujah and peanut butter...

All Season rubber is the biggest fallacy going, sure as long as you only ever get a light dusting of snow you can get away with them, but heaven help you if the snow really starts to fall, then its either don't drive or drive expecting to have an accident either because you can't steer or worse yet, you can't stop on the slippery surface.

Thank god I'm getting the Nokians on this Friday, then it can snow until Santa needs a snorkel to find my balcony, I won't care :P

NefCanuck
I couldn't agree with him more.

I saw only minivans and sport-utes in the ditch yesterday with our first real snow up here. And me in my snow-tired Focus went cruising on past... :D
I re-iterate my previous comments: BAN ALL-SEASON TIRES. Grandfather them until the stocks run out and then sell only summer and winter tires. Fire the scientists and Transport Canada bureaucrats who allowed us to drive snowflake-stamped all-season rubber all these years.

Hell, let's sue them! They told us the tires were safe to drive on. They allowed those tires to be declared safe! What's the difference now? New science? Not good enough for me! Let a court decide!

You can drive safely in winter conditions with snowflake-stamped all-season tires. You can drive safely in winter conditions with M+S (mud and snow) stamped tires. Those are tires that follow the LAWS and regulations laid out by this country, and until they change the laws we will continue on as we have been told!

It's one thing to drive around on something the government hasn't certified as safe in the winter. It's another entirely to drive around on tires that the government allows to be stamped as safe for our winter conditions.

It's real simple: admit you were wrong all this time (the government) and ban the future sales of ALL all-season tires. No exceptions for heavy trucks or anything. We're all equal in this country, regardless of where you live and it's about high time we started acting like it. No unilateral provincial declarations should be necessary. If anything, they're laughable and show just how divided we all are here. Do it now and do it federally.

Ryan - please keep your gene pool doggie paddlers out that way... we don't need them around here - kthx. :P :lol:

EDIT - in deference to Nate's obviously well thought-out, yet unsaid, argument - snow tires ARE technically safer! So is painting a tank orange and so is a large safety button on a handgun.

The bottom line is that all are dangerous. Snow tires don't make cars less dangerous. Snow tires allow good drivers to drive even better and they give dumbass drivers a better chance of survival. Technically I guess they give us ALL a better chance of survival. So, just like 3-wheeled ATVs - BAN ALL SEASON TIRES!
Im just gonna shut up for once. :rolleyes: :lol:
wow noticed how they got it all in one shot? no editing. I wonder how many times it took for them to get it right without a single error.

I always get worried right at the end that you goof up one word on your lines and spoil the perfect scene lol.

The site must be busy. I click on the video and it tells me that the content is currently unavailable.

Or the filtering of my companys internet. I cannot view any of RMR videos.
Been using snows for the pass couple of years beacuse of the amount of driving i do. Its on of those things that ppl dont think they need it until they get it and then they realize they have been an idiot for net getting it for all these years.

I have them on the Jetta(x-ice2's), got them on the Freestyle (winterforce) both cars are solid in the bit of snow we got so far.
cornflakes,Nov 26 2008, 03:09 PM Wrote:wow noticed how they got it all in one shot? no editing.  I wonder how many times it took for them to get it right without a single error.

I always get worried right at the end that you goof up one word on your lines and spoil the perfect scene lol.
[right][snapback]277169[/snapback][/right]
I'm pretty sure that's how all his rants always where. One continuous moving shot. I think he's used to it.
I just watched and I also agree. The first time I had 4 snow tires on any of my cars was on my AWD Legacy wagon. I was passing people in 2 inches of snow while they were spinning their all seasons. I will never drive a car without snow tires in the winter ever again. This set of tires and wheels was the best $450 I ever spent on the Focus. Anyone who dosen't have a set of tires for the winter months deserves what ever happens to them.

I love the part about flip flops. LOL
NOS2Go4Me,Nov 26 2008, 01:34 PM Wrote:I re-iterate my previous comments: BAN ALL-SEASON TIRES. Grandfather them until the stocks run out and then sell only summer and winter tires. Fire the scientists and Transport Canada bureaucrats who allowed us to drive snowflake-stamped all-season rubber all these years.

Hell, let's sue them! They told us the tires were safe to drive on. They allowed those tires to be declared safe! What's the difference now? New science? Not good enough for me! Let a court decide!

You can drive safely in winter conditions with snowflake-stamped all-season tires. You can drive safely in winter conditions with M+S (mud and snow) stamped tires. Those are tires that follow the LAWS and regulations laid out by this country, and until they change the laws we will continue on as we have been told!

It's one thing to drive around on something the government hasn't certified as safe in the winter. It's another entirely to drive around on tires that the government allows to be stamped as safe for our winter conditions.

It's real simple: admit you were wrong all this time (the government) and ban the future sales of ALL all-season tires. No exceptions for heavy trucks or anything. We're all equal in this country, regardless of where you live and it's about high time we started acting like it. No unilateral provincial declarations should be necessary. If anything, they're laughable and show just how divided we all are here. Do it now and do it federally.

Ryan - please keep your gene pool doggie paddlers out that way... we don't need them around here - kthx. :P :lol:

EDIT - in deference to Nate's obviously well thought-out, yet unsaid, argument - snow tires ARE technically safer! So is painting a tank orange and so is a large safety button on a handgun.

The bottom line is that all are dangerous. Snow tires don't make cars less dangerous. Snow tires allow good drivers to drive even better and they give dumbass drivers a better chance of survival. Technically I guess they give us ALL a better chance of survival. So, just like 3-wheeled ATVs - BAN ALL SEASON TIRES!
[right][snapback]277157[/snapback][/right]


:lol:
both of my cars have snow tires on...........now if only we got actual snow :(
got snows on the srt work fine but 420 tq I need chains and spikes
DD1,Nov 28 2008, 01:22 PM Wrote:got snows on the srt work fine but 420 tq I need chains and spikes
[right][snapback]277332[/snapback][/right]

:lol: You can have your 420 tq number, I'll take AWD over a monster RWD tq number any day of the year and twice in winter :P

NefCanuck
NefCanuck,Nov 28 2008, 08:56 PM Wrote:
DD1,Nov 28 2008, 01:22 PM Wrote:got snows on the srt work fine but 420 tq I need chains and spikes
[right][snapback]277332[/snapback][/right]

:lol: You can have your 420 tq number, I'll take AWD over a monster RWD tq number any day of the year and twice in winter :P

NefCanuck
[right][snapback]277357[/snapback][/right]

X2 :D
NOS2Go4Me,Nov 28 2008, 09:02 PM Wrote:
NefCanuck,Nov 28 2008, 08:56 PM Wrote:
DD1,Nov 28 2008, 01:22 PM Wrote:got snows on the srt work fine but 420 tq I need chains and spikes
[right][snapback]277332[/snapback][/right]

:lol: You can have your 420 tq number, I'll take AWD over a monster RWD tq number any day of the year and twice in winter :P

NefCanuck
[right][snapback]277357[/snapback][/right]

X2 :D
[right][snapback]277359[/snapback][/right]

I'll take the 420tq AWD car X[INFINITY].
Flofocus,Nov 28 2008, 09:43 PM Wrote:
NOS2Go4Me,Nov 28 2008, 09:02 PM Wrote:
NefCanuck,Nov 28 2008, 08:56 PM Wrote:
DD1,Nov 28 2008, 01:22 PM Wrote:got snows on the srt work fine but 420 tq I need chains and spikes
[right][snapback]277332[/snapback][/right]

:lol: You can have your 420 tq number, I'll take AWD over a monster RWD tq number any day of the year and twice in winter :P

NefCanuck
[right][snapback]277357[/snapback][/right]

X2 :D
[right][snapback]277359[/snapback][/right]

I'll take the 420tq AWD car X[INFINITY].
[right][snapback]277367[/snapback][/right]

Greedy one aren't you? :lol:

NefCanuck