No winter tyre ban in New Zealand

A New Zealand coroner’s call for a nationwide ban upon winter tyres has failed to gain widespread support. Palmerston North coroner Tim Scott made this recommendation following an inquest into a fatal car accident involving a vehicle that was imported second hand from Japan with cold weather tyres fitted.

Scott made the claim that winter tyres were not designed for normal winter driving conditions and said they should be banned from all road-legal vehicles in New Zealand. He also recommended selling winter tyres or driving a vehicle equipped with them be made an offence. “I have not made this recommendation lightly,” he told local media. “There should be no exceptions to the ban.”

National motoring group the Automobile Association responded by saying it wasn’t in favour of any such ban. “The most important issue is for drivers to be aware,” said AA general manager Mike Noon. “They need to get them replaced if they do not drive in snow conditions often.” A spokesman from the country’s Transport Ministry also refrained from voicing support for Scott’s recommendation, noting only that no complete ban on the import and use of winter tyres would occur without public consultation.