Tire Makers Offer Capable Alternatives Everyone Pays Road Damage Can Be Measured In Dollars.

From November to March, regardless of the weather, tires on many of our region’s vehicles claw at the roads with steel studs. Every once in a while, snowfall muffles the familiar clatter and the tires fulfill their purpose.

The rest of the time, studs gouge ruts in the highways, creating a year-round hazard and increasing the repaving costs for roads that already are inadequately maintained. The state of Oregon estimates that it spends $11 million a year fixing pavement damage from studded tires. This year, Oregon asked drivers to consider using unstudded winter tires.

When roads are not coated with ice - most of the winter - studded tires have a greater tendency to skid.

Several states and provinces have banned studded tires. According to research prepared for the Washington state Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation, these include such snowy locales as Minnesota, Ontario, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. This month, the commission recommended Washington’s Legislature either phase out studded tires or impose a surcharge so the cost of buying them would cover the cost of the damage they do.

If road crews merely patch highway ruts, it is estimated that each studded tire costs taxpayers $8 to $15 in repairs. If crews repave a lane completely, the cost per tire is an estimated $40 to $50.

The Blue Ribbon Commission has a good goal: get more mileage out of each road-repair dollar. A consultant who researched the issue for the commission learned that after Minnesota banned studded tires in the 1970s, accidents did not increase.

Meanwhile, winter tire technology has improved. Over the last few years many tire makers have come out with studless winter tires designed to approach the performance of studs on ice and to equal or surpass studs on snowy, wet or dry pavement. These tires use high-grip rubber compounds that stay soft in the cold and feature high-contact, aggressively siped tread designs. According to ratings at www.tirerack.com, popular models include the Bridgestone Blizzak, the Michelin Arctic Alpine and the Dunlop Graspic.

No one wants to place motorists in jeopardy. Remember, safety on icy roads depends primarily on driver caution, not studs. Now that tire makers are responding to the need for unstudded winter treads, we actually could be better off if that harmful clatter of steel on dry pavement becomes a thing of the past.