Public perception of cold weather tyres in New Zealand has been dealt another blow, with the country’s leading motor industry organisation, the Motor Trade Association, again calling for a ban to be placed upon the importation of cars fitted with cold weather tyres, more commonly known in New Zealand as snow tyres. The association has also proposed denying a warrant of fitness – the 6-monthly New Zealand equivalent to the MOT – to any vehicle fitted with cold weather tyres outside the cold season and away from “colder regions of the country.” Demands for such measures have been repeated throughout this year following the occurrence of two well-publicised fatal accidents involving vehicles fitted with a combination of summer and winter tyres, and this negative attention appears to have overshadowed the benefits that correctly fitted winter tyres may bring to motorists.

The overwhelming majority of cold weather tyres on New Zealand’s roads enter the country fitted to second hand cars imported from Japan, the principal source of vehicles for the New Zealand market. Despite manufacturer’s recommendations against the fitment of different tyre types on a vehicle, at present New Zealand motorists are not required to replace the part worn Japanese market tyres on their vehicles before use or even ensure that all four tyres are of the same specification. These relaxed regulations all too often result in cars hitting the road with less than optimal safety performance, a deficiency that cold weather tyres appear to be bearing blame for.

Although approximately one quarter of New Zealand’s population live in areas where winter temperatures frequently drop well below seven degrees Celsius, cold weather tyres are not popular and the only media attention they receive is of a negative type. The national body in charge of vehicle regulations, Land Transport New Zealand (LTNZ), takes the official position that they are an unnecessary addition. Don Hutchinson, vehicles manager for LTNZ has previously stated that “the vast majority of New Zealand motorists have no need for specialised snow tyres on their vehicles at any time of year.” These comments have been frequently repeated in local media and are included in advice given on the LTNZ website’s winter tyre question and answer page.