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The swift return of snowfall this weekend meant busted bumpers and insurance woes for B.C. drivers caught off guard.

Friday and Saturday, ICBC handled a surge in calls as drivers took to icy roads during heavy snowfall. Even after city workers in Vancouver and elsewhere worked to salt and brine major arterial roads in anticipation of Friday’s dump, many drivers spent Saturday slipping and sliding.

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“A lot of people just don’t think (winter tires) are necessary for some reason,” said Sterling Arndt, owner of OK Tire Vancouver. Usually, they’re put off by the price, said Arndt, with full sets typically starting around $400 but reaching up to $2,000 for luxury SUVs.

Arndt added that some drivers are oblivious to or have never experienced the added traction a good set of winter tires provides, particularly because it’s been years since the Lower Mainland has been hit by heavy snowfall.

And he’s not talking about all-season tires marked “M+S” for mud and snow, which he said the industry calls “three-season” tires because they’re inadequate on ice.