Canada's Leading Winter Tire Expert Tells Department the Tires on MFVA are WRONG and Policy Should be Changed

From: Mortimer, Nigel
To: McLaughlin, John (ED15)
Cc: Isabelle Hains; Haché, Roland (Hon) (ED)
Sent: Tue Nov 03 12:14:56 2009

Hi John,

I have been in contact with Isabel Hains who informs me that she has been in contact with you regarding the use of winter tires on the one ton multi functional activity vehicle which is currently equipped with Nokian winter tires on the rear only.

She informs that your school board policy prescribes rib tires on the front and traction tires on the rear for yellow school buses and that this policy is being used on these one ton multi function activity vehicles as well as the large school buses.

Transport Canada highly recomends the use of winter tires, designated with the mountain snowflake symbol, on all wheel positions when such tires are available in the prescribed tire size.

Since these MFAV's currently have all season tires on the front and winter tires on the rear we highly recommend that the same Nokian tires be installed on the front as well as the rear. This will improve vehicle stability, steerability and braking in winter conditions.

The reason that I have been asked to comment on this is that I produced a series of winter tire demonstration videos, teach winter driving skills, and sit on an advisory comitee with the Rubber Association of Canada. Our comitee will shortly be regulating the use of the mountain snowflake symbol here in Canada. Additionally we are looking into regulating ice traction as well as the current snow traction requirements prescribed by this mountain snowflake symbol.

Sincerely,

Nigel Mortimer
Head of Recalls
Road Safety Department
Transport Canada

Here is John McLaughlin's extremely swift response to Nigel Mortimer's letter (less than 12 minutes given the one hour time difference between Ontario and New Brunswick).

From: McLaughlin, John (ED15)
Sent: November 3, 2009 11:26 AM
To: Mortimer, Nigel
Cc: Isabelle Hains; Haché, Roland (Hon) (ED)

Hello Nigel,

Thank you for the email. Our district follows the protocol established by the Department of Education under its new Policy 513.

I will forward your email to the appropriate people at the Department of Education. We take our direction from that level.

Thanks again for the email. This issue is of great concern to all of us as student safety is of the highest importance.

Sincerely,

John McLaughlin
Superintendent
School District 15


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John M

And here is Nigel's follow up email to John McLaughlin

From: Mortimer, Nigel
To: McLaughlin, John (ED15)
Cc: Isabelle Hains ; Haché, Roland (Hon) (ED)
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 2:17 PM

Thanks John,

Hopefully the policy will be changed as a result of our experience in this matter.

Nigel Mortimer
Head of Recalls
Road Safety Department
Transport Canada