Police will be enforcing Utah's traction law in the Cottonwood Canyons this winter

Flashing lights in canyons indicate when the traction law applies. It requires vehicles to have traction devices such as tire chains, tire cables or snow socks or snow-rated tires.

UDOT Roadway Operations Manager Jake Brown said the law helps people get through canyons safely.

“If your vehicle is properly equipped, you will be able to handle snow and ice better than if you had bald tires,” he said. “The other thing is making sure people move through the canyon and keep going without stalling and leaving people unprotected in avalanche areas like that.”

Police will be stationed at various checkpoints to ensure vehicles comply with legal requirements. The Little Cottonwood Canyon checkpoint is located at the Gate Buttress near mile marker 5. The Big Cottonwood Canyon checkpoint is located in the chaining area just past the water facility and gates on Canyon Estate Drive. A map of the checkpoints is available Here.

UDOT is working with the Cottonwood Heights Police Department for enforcement at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and the Sandy City Police Department for enforcement at Little Cottonwood Canyon. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office will be assisting with vehicles in both canyons.

Brown said UDOT offers that too Cottonwood Canyon decal program to simplify the inspection process. With the free program, drivers can have their vehicles checked in advance for compliance with the traction law. If complied with, the driver receives a windshield sticker that allows them to bypass checkpoints.

Brown said the traction law helps drivers get to resorts in the Cottonwood Canyons more quickly.

“You don't have people who have the wrong tires or no traction equipment spinning out and getting stuck, and so traffic flows faster up the canyon when the vehicle is properly equipped,” he said.

The increased enforcement is possible because of additional funding provided by the Utah Legislature through HB 488, which passed earlier this year.