UDOT Launches Online Traction Law Quiz as Utah County Heads Into Winter

The Utah Department of Transportation has launched a free online quiz that tells drivers whether their vehicle meets Utah's winter traction requirements, and it arrives as Utah County moves into canyon-driving season. UDOT announced the tool on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. It asks where you plan to drive and what you drive, then says whether you are ready or need different tires or traction devices. For Utah County drivers, the practical question is how the rules apply on US-189 through Provo Canyon and on the Alpine Loop, and UDOT's own pages give a more specific answer than many drivers expect.

What UDOT announced

In its Nov. 9 release, UDOT described the quiz as a way for drivers to check whether their vehicle meets winter traction requirements for where they are traveling. Becky Parker, UDOT's traveler information director, said: "Nobody should have to be an expert on tires or traction laws to know whether they're prepared for winter driving." KSL quoted her as saying "The traction law can be a bit confusing," and described the quiz as a quick way to check whether drivers are ready to go up the canyons.

ABC4 reported that, unlike the Cottonwood Canyons sticker program, the quiz covers traction rules on all state-owned roads in Utah.

The release also announced that the Cottonwood Canyons Sticker Program began its sixth season on Nov. 9. It offers free, voluntary tire inspections at more than 160 participating shops along the Wasatch Front through Feb. 28, 2027. UDOT says stickers are not required to enter the canyons, and that all vehicles must comply with traction requirements when the law is in effect.

UDOT also said its Roads to Recreation program now includes the Timpanogos Area, joining the Cottonwood Canyons, Wasatch Back, Ogden Valley and Zion Area. That addition matters locally, because the Timpanogos Area is the part of the program that covers Utah County's mountain roads.

How the quiz works

The quiz page describes a branching questionnaire for passenger vehicles and light trucks under 12,000 pounds. Vehicles over 12,000 pounds GVWR are directed to UDOT's official requirements instead.

The quiz first asks where you plan to travel. The two choices it names are the Cottonwood Canyons (Big or Little) and "other mountain routes such as Parleys Canyon, Logan Canyon, or Powder Mountain." Provo Canyon and the Alpine Loop are not named on the page, so Utah County drivers will most likely use the "other mountain routes" path. After that, it asks four things:

1. Whether the vehicle is all-wheel or four-wheel drive, or two-wheel drive.
2. Whether all four tires carry the right markings: M+S or the three-peak mountain snowflake for AWD and 4WD vehicles, or the three-peak mountain snowflake for 2WD vehicles.
3. Whether each tire has at least 5/32 inch of tread. Answers are yes, no or "don't know." If you do not know, the quiz explains how to measure it with an inexpensive gauge or at a partner location.
4. Whether you have chains, cables, snow socks or studs that fit your vehicle and can go on at least two drive tires.

A passing result for the other mountain routes says you are ready, with a reminder that devices must be installed when restrictions require them. A failing result recommends getting proper tires or devices and links to tire inspection locations. Each result also reminds drivers to drive carefully, obey posted traffic laws and wear seatbelts.

What the traction law says

UDOT's traction law page says drivers must use traction devices in certain locations during severe winter weather. UDOT or law enforcement decides when conditions require them, and travelers are notified through road signs, message boards, the UDOT Traffic app and social media. The rule behind it is Utah Administrative Code R920-6.

UDOT lists these vehicle requirements:

• AWD or 4WD vehicles: M/S or M+S tires, or three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) tires. Traction devices on at least two drive tires are also acceptable.
• 2WD passenger cars and light-duty trucks under 12,000 GVWR: At least 3PMSF tires. Traction devices on all drive tires are also acceptable.
• Vehicles over 12,000 GVWR: Traction devices on all drive tires. On dual-tire setups, devices are needed on only one tire of each dual.

UDOT defines traction devices as chains, cables, snow socks or studs, and drive tires as the tires that receive power from the engine. On Class 3 road segments, which are the Cottonwood Canyons, acceptable tires must have at least 5/32 inch of tread, or the vehicle must use traction devices.

UDOT's release says that following HB 196, passed in 2025, the agency can enforce traction requirements up to 24 hours before a storm begins. Its traction page gives the same advice: "Be prepared, you may be required to be in compliance up to 24 hours before a storm." The release adds that vehicles using qualifying tires instead of traction devices need a minimum tread depth of 5/32 inch under the updated rule's "Class Three" designation, and that law enforcement may cite violators.

How it applies to Provo Canyon and the Alpine Loop

UDOT's Timpanogos Area traction law page covers two Utah County routes, and the classes differ.

Provo Canyon (US-189) is listed as Class 1. That class applies only to vehicles over 12,000 pounds GVWR, such as buses, semi-trucks and some RVs. A typical passenger car or pickup is not covered by the Class 1 requirement on that page.

The Alpine Loop (SR-92) is listed as Class 2, which applies to all vehicles. For AWD and 4WD vehicles, the page gives M+S or 3PMSF tires on all wheels as the minimum. For 2WD vehicles, it gives 3PMSF tires on all wheels as the minimum, with traction devices on at least two drive wheels also acceptable. UDOT also lists SR-144, the road from American Fork Canyon toward Tibble Fork, on the same page. The Alpine Loop closed for the season on Nov. 2, as UDOT announced on Oct. 29, so the Class 2 rule matters most on the American Fork Canyon side below the closure gates and on SR-144 when snow is forecast. The page says restrictions can take effect up to 24 hours before a storm begins.

The UDOT pages reviewed for this story do not list Spanish Fork Canyon (US-6) or the I-15 corridor in Utah County under the traction law. Their absence from the Timpanogos Area page is not a statement that conditions there are always easy. UDOT says to check its map of currently required routes and its Traffic website for anything beyond the two routes above.

The quiz and the page also differ in small ways. The quiz asks about devices on at least two drive tires for AWD and 4WD vehicles, while the Timpanogos page words the Alpine Loop device option differently. When a sign or message board says devices are required, follow the sign and UDOT's current text.

What Utah County drivers can do now

None of this requires a trip up a canyon to prepare. These steps follow directly from the UDOT pages and the quiz:

• Take the quiz before the first storm. Choose the route that matches your trip, and answer for the vehicle you will drive.
• Read your tire sidewalls. Look for M+S or the three-peak mountain snowflake. If your tires have neither and you drive a 2WD vehicle, the quiz will point you to devices or different tires.
• Measure tread. The 5/32 inch figure is the number the quiz asks about. UDOT notes an inexpensive gauge works, or a partner location can check it.
• Carry devices that fit. Chains, cables, snow socks or studs only count if they fit your vehicle and can be installed on the required drive tires.
• Plan for up to 24 hours early. A restriction can take effect before the first flakes fall.
• Check conditions before leaving. The UDOT Traffic site shows road weather, live cameras and where snowplows have recently cleared the road, with timestamps. UDOT says current road conditions data is collected from Nov. 1 to April 30, and it tells users to monitor 511 during weather-related travel concerns.
• Watch for closures. UDOT's Timpanogos Area page listed a full US-189 closure on Monday, Nov. 9, from 10 to 10:50 a.m. for blasting, a reminder that scheduled work also affects canyon trips.

For local background, see our guides to Provo Canyon in winter, the Utah winter driving traction law and chains, and winter tires and canyon driving in Utah. Our report on the Alpine Loop winter closure covers the SR-92 closure dates. For the road itself, see the Provo Canyon guide. Drivers who stay in the valley can read our I-15 through Utah County guide, and those heading toward the southeast can see our Spanish Fork Canyon guide.

What UDOT says about the Timpanogos Area

UDOT's Timpanogos Area page covers US-189 in Provo Canyon, SR-92 in American Fork Canyon and the Alpine Loop, and SR-144 to Tibble Fork. It offers road status, parking guidance and the note that public transportation serves Sundance. UDOT, the Utah Highway Patrol or a designated local agency decides when devices are required. For ski trips, UDOT's release recommends checking tires, reducing speed in winter conditions and considering public transit or carpooling to reach resorts.

Sources

This report draws on UDOT's Nov. 9, 2026 news release, UDOT's traction law and Timpanogos Area pages, the traction law quiz page, UDOT Traffic, KSL and ABC4. Details were checked on Nov. 10, 2026.