STAFF REPORT
You’d think that chains and snow tires would be a no-brainer for anyone planning to drive through the mountains during the winter, but last winter proved this is simply not the case. El Dorado County is facing the issue of ill-prepared motorists by making traction control devices not only recommended, but legally necessary.
El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel and other supervisors began work on the Traction Control Device Ordinance in March, and passed the final version in July. The ordinance states that if unacceptable traction control devices are used and a car loses traction, impedes traffic, or has been found to have contributed to an accident, the driver could be liable or cited for towing costs or other California Vehicle Code violations and fines.
The massive winter weekend traffic jams in Meyers led to drivers blindly following navigation systems onto alternate routes without chains or snow tires on their vehicles, creating parking lots of disabled cars that were stuck in the snowy side streets, the El Dorado supervisors said.
“The new ordinance will provide our neighborhood streets in the Tahoe Basin a safer passage as well as better emergency access for providers such as fire, ambulance, and snow removal equipment during severe storm conditions,” said Novasel in a March District V newsletter. “Due to new technology, our once-quiet neighborhood streets have become clogged by autos and other vehicles that attempt to use those streets as shortcuts around traffic and chain controls.”
Signage informing drivers of the ordinance has been posted around the county. Info: click here
