Many good reasons to go studless this year

Even though valid evidence clearly exposes the shortcomings of studded tires, their use will soon become rampant in our area. Many motorists here will equip their vehicles with the noisy, pavement ravaging rubber, under the false pretense that they will achieve enhanced winter driving safety.

Thankfully, these spiked-tread tires are only allowed by the state of Washington from Nov. 1 through March 31. Many state officials would like to outlaw them altogether, but for the last couple of June sessions, the Legislature has lacked the gumption to do it. Just last year, the Transportation Commission forwarded a recommendation to the governor’s office to ban or impose a fee on studded tire use, which the WSDOT endorsed, but it failed to pass legislation.

So far, the only “wintery” states to ban studs are Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Hurray for those states! They have taken to heart the influence of modern tire design, diligent snow and ice control, and other facts about studded tire safety (or lack thereof).

Safety is the first issue that experts have with studded tires. There is a small handling advantage to studs when compared to some other tires. But that advantage is only on glare ice road conditions (untreated icy roads at or near 32 degrees F). Research on studded tires dating back to the 1970s consistently shows that vehicles equipped with studded tires have less adhesion for starting, stopping, and turning on wet and dry road surfaces than do vehicles with standard tires. Besides that, some of the modern winter “studless” tires handle better than studs in all conditions. Even though studs may have a slight advantage on clear ice at freezing temperatures, these conditions only occur in our area about 1 percent of the time. I would rather accommodate my tires’ shortcomings during 1 percent of my driving time, rather than 99 percent.

The last time I checked, our Washington State Patrol fleet was successfully using Goodyear’s F-32 studless winter radials. Other manufacturers offer similar products, such as the Toyo Observe, or the Bridgestone Blizzak — check with your favorite tire retailer for options. Remember, research indicates that all other tires have better adhesion on wet or dry pavement than studded tires — that means longer stopping distance, and less grip in turns with studs for most driving.

Along with winter-specific alternatives, many modern year-round tires carry an “approved traction tire” rating — embossed labeling on the tire sidewall will read “mud and snow,” “M+S,” “MS,” “All Season;” or have a mountain snowflake symbol. Frequency, distance, and location of your winter driving, coupled with your vehicle type, will ultimately determine your tire needs. Side note: when “CHAINS REQUIRED” signs are posted, no tire alone is legal — cable, cross-link, plastic, or nylon chains must be used (even if you have studs).

I was weaned off studs in 1980, as my fleet operator only purchased Goodyear tires, and Goodyear had discontinued studded ones. Anyone remember the Arriva? It’s a first generation all-season model, and the tire that got me safely around Montana and Wyoming the next two winters. Although initially reluctant, I became a believer.

The WSDOT is also concerned with the accelerated road wear and rutting caused by studded tire use. Every state has done extensive research on this subject, and they all agree that studs cause pavement wear and rutting that is both substantial and costly. Here, it’s estimated that winter studded tire use shortens road life an average of four years, which translates to an annual cost of $10 million.

The rutting caused by studs is factual, costly, and dangerous. Studies conducted in Washington and other states show that studs are responsible for 100 percent of the ruts made in concrete highways, and 60 percent of those dug into asphalt — heavy vehicles also contribute to the asphalt ruts. We not only spend plenty resurfacing damaged roads, but safety is not at an optimum on rutted roadways. Hydroplaning, excess road spray when following vehicles, and the “auto-pilot” effect, are all hazards made worse by stud-running.

Within Washington, Spokane drivers have the biggest love affair with those tungsten “nails.” Currently, 10 percent of the drivers on the west side of the state use them, while 32 percent of those residing east of the Cascades “stud-up” in the winter. The biggest percentage of users, though, is right here in Spokane, where a whopping 56 percent of drivers are wearing away our road surfaces prematurely. Surprisingly, however, even with Western Washington’s lower percentage of use, the sheer volume of traffic there causes even more rutting and costs than in Eastern Washington. No matter how you view it, studded tire usage has a profound effect on safety and highway budgets.

The typical weight of each stud used in a tire in the U.S. is 1.7-1.9 grams, while Scandinavian countries have adopted the use of a 1.1 gram stud for the tires used there. Using that stud weight here would reduce our road wear by an estimated 36 percent, but manufacturers have been unwilling to tool-up for such a change thus far. So this could be an alternative to an outright ban, but not a likely one, and still not as cost-effective as a ban or a user-fee.

It’s a controversial and sometimes emotional issue, but with ever-present budget deficits, it’s one which must be addressed by the WSDOT. The agency is encouraging drivers to consider alternatives to studs for the tire traction demands of winter driving.

And drivers, when the winter weather arrives, please remember: stay alert, slow down, and stay in control. I believe that proper operator behavior is more germane to safe winter driving than studded tires are.