Winter blues

I don't know how many times I've shared this, but, I'll say it again;  I HATE WINTER!   Fortunately, I had the winter tires put on the car on Saturday, so it wasn't a stressful trip this morning.  But a steady 60 MPH still makes for a long trip and the many fellow drivers with less than optimum tires on their cars make for an interesting contrast in styles.  Pickup trucks, the ubiquitous workhorse on the NCR are hazardous no matter what kind of tires they sport unless they have heavy weights over the rear axles.  Many who share the winter highways can't afford snow tires and continue through the Dec.- March period on "all season" radial tires.  You might as well put ice skates on your car when we have weather like this morning's.  Canada, sensibly requires winter tires on passenger vehicles from Dec. til spring.  It would be interesting to compare accident rates in northern US and Canada during the winter.  All I know is it is a long and nasty winter and I won't be sorry to experience the Vernal equinox in 2017.