Want winter tires on your rental car? Good luck

Alberta is in the grips of winter, but consumers looking to rent a vehicle outfitted with winter tires to navigate the ice, slush and snow are largely out of luck.

Rental companies in Alberta rarely install winter tires on their fleets, and the few companies that do often charge hefty fees.

Of nine companies with locations in Edmonton contacted by CBC Newsthis month, four operations had a small selection of vehicles outfitted with winter tires. The rest didn't have any at all.

Instead, most operators opt for mud and snow all-season tires, and encourage customers concerned about winter driving conditions to opt for four-wheel drive vehicles.

"It is surprising that they don't have more winter tires available," said Michael Sands, who owns a Fountain Tire in downtown Edmonton.

Though they are more rugged, with deeper treadsthan a standard tire, all-seasons don't provide as much traction or control, said Sands.

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The tread compound of all-season tires can harden in low temperatures, so there's less traction with the road. But winter tires are made of a special rubberthat stays pliable in the cold, giving them better grip and improved braking, even in the most extreme conditions.

Driving without them can leave drivers at risk, especially when icy conditions turn local roads into skating rinks.

"In Alberta, the type of weather that we have is minus 25, not a tonof snow, but always, always lots of glare ice at the intersections, said Sands. "And the type of snow that we have, when it does hit, it turns into an icy situation.

"So if you're just getting an all-season tire then you're compromising your stopping power."

'Sliding ... doesn't make anybody feel good'

Hertz is among the few major brands that regularly offer winter tires on rental vehicles. A representative told CBC that20 per cent of the company'sEdmonton-area vehicles have winter tires. There is an extra charge of between $20 and$25 per day. Customers who want themneed to call ahead and they can't always be guaranteed.

Similar policies apply to Budget and Avis. They share a single fleet of vehicles throughout Alberta, and winter tire-equipped rentals hard to come by. There are no guarantees of availability,and customers requesting winter tires can expect to pay more.

Neither Discount Car Rental, Ace Rent a Car, Enterprise, Routes Car Rentals or Dollar Rent A Car had any rental vehicles equipped with winter tires.

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One major exception is Driving Force, a rental company based in Edmonton.It's the only company of those contacted by CBC that could guarantee winter tires to consumers who requested them in advance.

Roughly 30per cent of the SUVs in the company'sEdmonton fleet have winter tires and all their large vans and trucks are equipped. However, customers keen to have winter rubber on their rental cars may have to compromise on the make and model.

"We discourage from people not having [winter tires], " said Driving Force representative Norman Leach.

"Our company believes first and foremost in the safety of our customers and slipping and sliding on winter roads doesn't make anybody feel good."

'There is a cost to the rental company'

Installing winter tires is cost-prohibitive for rental companies, said Sands. Companies often have to replace their fleet vehicles after only six months on the road, so there is little incentive to make upgrades to vehicles they won't have for long.

"There is a cost to the rental company, putting the tires on and taking the tires off," Sands said. "And of course the insurance, if there's an accident, does not fall on the rental company, it falls upon the consumer, so I guess their concern for safety isn't quite as high as the consumer's."

Transport Canada recommends drivers who intend on driving in severe winter conditions install four winter tires.

"These snow tires will assist you to control your vehicle safely in slippery conditions," the department says on its website.

Transport Canada also cautions that all-season tires "may not always be suitable for severe snow conditions," and that wide, high performance tires not specifically designed as snow tires "are not suitable for use on snow-covered roads."

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While there is some seasonal regulation for winter tires on certain highwaysin B.C., Quebec is the only province that mandates winter tires for all vehicles from Dec. 15 to March 15.

There are no plans to follow suit in Alberta, but winter tires should be made available to consumers who want them,said Transportation Minister Brian Mason.

Mason who suggested that companies forced to install expensive winter tires might download those costs onto the customeralso isn't sure whether Alberta's winters warranted the regulation.

"Quebec gets considerably more snow in some places than Alberta does, so it's been the policy not to make winter tires mandatory," Mason said.

"But I'm certainly open to having some discussions with some of the driver organizations and car rental companies as to whether they think this is worth pursuing."