TORONTO - As snowstorms battered many parts of Ontario this week, safety advocates were pushing for a tax rebate for winter tires, an idea Premier Dalton McGuinty flatly rejected Wednesday -- even as he recommended drivers use snow tires.
The Canadian Automobile Association and the Ontario Safety League joined with the Ontario Hospital Association and the Ontario Trucking Association to propose a $25 tax credit for each snow tire purchased.
Encouraging more drivers to use actual snow tires would reduce the number of accidents and serious injuries, saving the province millions in health-care costs, said the CAA's Faye Lyons.
"We're here today to remind (Premier McGuinty) and the government this is not just about safer roads and safer families," said Lyons.
"It's about reduced congestion, a better economy and reduced costs to the health-care system, so really it's a win-win-win across the board and should be looked at."
Statistics from Quebec, where snow tires are mandatory, show 10 per cent of motorists who don't have them are responsible for about 40 per cent of accidents in the province.
Less than 50 per cent of Ontario cars are equipped with snow tires, according to the Rubber Association of Canada.
However, McGuinty feels drivers shouldn't need a tax incentive to make the switch to snow tires in winter months.
"No, it's not something we're considering at this point in time," McGuinty told reporters.
"It's something we think families on their own should consider."
Providing a tax break for snow tires would cost the government $19 million a year, but there would be about 500 fewer serious crashes, resulting in $30 million a year in savings to the health-care system, said Brian Patterson of the Ontario Safety League.
"From EMS to emergency rooms to acute care to rehab, Ontario families need to take road safety as a greater priority by checking forecasts, driving proactively and ensuring their vehicles are ready for winter conditions by having four matching winter tires," he said.
"This is a simple choice for the government: provide an incentive to people who do the right thing and remove a significant burden off the taxpayers of this province."
McGuinty made it clear that even though the government won't offer tax breaks, he does think snow tires are necessary in Ontario.
"The bottom line is that snow tires improve safety, not just for you and your family but for others on the road," he said.
"My advice, my urging is to be sensible about these kinds of things and take advantage of snow tires."
If people don't make the "sensible" choice as the premier recommends, taxpayers will be on the hook for their decision, said Patterson.
"If I take the premier's point that people should make the choice, they should also be responsible for making the bad choice," he said.
"His biggest burden right now is health-care costs, and this is a real opportunity to show leadership and provide incentives to people who are going to do the right thing for safety."
The New Democrats say the tax credit idea for snow tires is worth considering.
