Most drivers in the area will have noticed the appalling damage to our streets and roads this winter, but I wonder how many have thought about one of the most significant causes for that damage: studded tires.
These tires cause tens of millions of dollars of damage to our roads every year. In our area, they are used mostly on dry or simply wet pavement, where their traction is poorer than that of regular tires even as they grind away the road surface, which then disintegrates under pressure of compacted snow and ice.
With the development of better rubber compounds and tread patterns, the need to accept the road damage caused by studded tires has been eliminated. It’s time for Washington state to phase out studs. If Wisconsin and Minnesota can do without them, we can, too.
