Is your car ready for ski season? UDOT has a new way to help drivers prepare for traction laws
The mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon is pictured on Sunday, March 31, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
Ahead of the winter ski season, state transportation officials are urging drivers to make sure their vehicles are prepared to safely navigate winter canyon roads before heading to the slopes.
The Utah Department of Transportation this week announced it has launched a new online quiz to help Utah motorists determine whether their vehicles meet winter traction requirements based on where they plan to drive and what type of vehicle they plan to use.
“Nobody should have to be an expert on tires or traction laws to know whether they’re prepared for winter driving,” UDOT Traveler Information Director Becky Parker said in a prepared statement. “We’ve spent years helping Utahns understand these requirements, and this quiz takes that education a step further.”
The quiz helps Utah drivers be prepared for all state-owned roads in Utah.
“Instead of searching through a list of rules to figure out which ones apply to their vehicle, drivers can now have that information presented directly to them,” Parker said.
The new quiz comes as state transportation officials and local law enforcement agencies enter their second winter season of stricter traction laws for Big and Little Cottonwood canyons, where many of the state’s ski resorts draw long lines of traffic on snowy days.
In 2025, the Utah Legislature passed HB196, which allows UDOT officials to enforce traction requirements up to 24 hours before a storm begins.
During severe winter driving conditions, the Utah Department of Transportation enforces a new administrative rule that requires vehicles to have specific traction abilities or devices, and the Cottonwood canyons have a “class 3 designation” with stricter requirements.
When the beacons outside the canyons are flashing, vehicles driving up Big or Little Cottonwood canyons must have:
- At least 5/32 tire tread depth on all wheels if you’re relying on tires themselves and not traction devices like chains, cables, snow socks or tire studs.
- Tires rated for mud and snow, or snow, depending on whether the vehicle has two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
- All-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicles must have snow-rated tires on all wheels, or traction devices on at least two wheels.
- Two-wheel drive vehicles must have 3PMSF, or Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake-certified tires, on all wheels. Or, traction devices on at least the drive wheels are acceptable.
Police may issue citations to those who violate the traction requirements.
“Preparing for winter travel includes more steps than just checking the forecast,” Parker said. “Drivers need to understand what equipment their vehicles require, what conditions to expect on the roads and what transportation options are available. We want to make it easier for people to find that information before they leave home, so they’re more prepared for the conditions ahead.”
UDOT also has a Cottonwood Canyons Sticker Program that offers free tire inspections at more than 160 tire shops along the Wasatch Front. The voluntary program’s sixth season started this week and runs through Feb. 28, with the goal of improving safety and traffic flow in the canyons by encouraging drivers to make sure their vehicles are compliant.
State transportation officials are urging Utah drivers to check their tires, slow down during winter conditions, and consider taking public transit or carpooling when heading up the canyons.
More information about traction requirements are available on UDOT’s website.
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