Issues in Cottonwood canyons causing frustration for drivers

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SALT LAKE CITY — It has been a winter stuffed with snowstorms and powder days, but in addition a season of visitors complications for drivers within the Cottonwood canyons.

A few of the frustrations have centered on Utah’s traction law, which requires that in winter driving situations autos have applicable traction units.

4-wheel or all-wheel drive autos should even have mud and snow tires or chains. Two-wheel drive autos will need to have snow tires (3PMSF) or chains.

This week, Sean Zahm went to social media to share his considerations concerning the lack of enforcement of the traction regulation in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

“Not a single tire checked,” he stated in his Instagram publish. “I’ll be up right here all day and caught as a result of somebody’s going to slip off.”

In an interview with KSL-TV, Zahm, knowledgeable snowboard teacher, stated it simply takes one automobile to trigger a visitors nightmare or a hazard for everybody else.

“Many individuals who’ve the fallacious autos and all the pieces, they do not know that they can not simply pull to the facet of the highway or put their hazards on,” he stated.

‘There must be enforcement’

Zahm puzzled why he went by the pre-inspection course of to obtain a sticker from the Utah Division of Transportation to indicate that his automobile has the right traction units for the canyons.

“There must be enforcement,” he stated. “I imply, if we’re lining up outdoors the canyon for hours, perhaps they will verify tires whereas we’re ready.”

A spokesperson for Unified Police Division, which patrols the canyons, stated they perceive the issues brought on by ill-prepared autos touring in Massive and Little Cottonwood canyons throughout snowstorms.

“We completely share your frustration,” stated Sgt. Melody Cutler.

Nonetheless, Cutler stated it is not life like and the company doesn’t have the staffing to verify every automobile.

“Three to 5 minutes per automobile,” Cutler stated. “So the visitors jam that that will trigger goes to be way more important than the one with individuals simply touring up the canyon.”

‘No questions requested’

However enforcement of the traction regulation is occurring within the type of tickets.

“If there is a slide-off and you’re in violation of a traction (regulation), you’re getting a quotation — no questions requested,” Cutler stated.

Either side stated one other situation is that the traction regulation solely goes into impact for present winter situations not predicted storms.

“Like immediately, you possibly can drive any automobile you need up this canyon and it is not an issue,” Cutler stated on Friday, which had sunny climate. “Even when there is a forecast that in two hours from now we will have an enormous snowstorm. So that you go up the canyon along with your two-wheel drive automobile and bald tires and it begins to snow.”

Cutler stated to not assume that your SUV is four-wheel, or all-wheel drive. She stated the problem is additional sophisticated by guests with rental vehicles or individuals utilizing rideshare to get to the ski resorts.

“In case you are visiting from out-of-town and renting a automobile, verify with the rental firm to confirm that your automobile is provided with four-wheel drive (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) and the right tires,” stated UDOT’s web site.

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