It’s puzzling that a state with one of the highest gasoline taxes in the nation allows motorists to destroy roads and highways free of charge. It’s like the health department handing out free cigarettes.

Why does this happen? The best answer is tradition. But that’s not good enough.

There was a time when studded tires made more sense for winter drivers. But because of advances in technology, those days are long gone. Now the metal road rippers merely provide a false sense of security.

State Sen. Chris Marr, D-Spokane, wants to address that issue with a bill that would curtail the use of studded tires. His bill would ban the sale and use of studded tires and set aside $10 million to mitigate the inordinate burden that would be placed on Eastern Washington. (The fund would provide grants to repair damage caused by studs, likely to be worse east of the Cascades.)

State Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, wonders whether geographic limits would be better. It is encouraging that a rural legislator acknowledges the problem: “I am sympathetic. There is a lot of damage done.”

Kretz is referring to the fact that he drives on studs in Olympia, but they do damage wherever they’re used. Studies show that nonstudded tires almost always outperform studded tires. The only advantage for studs is on the rare occasions when glare ice covers the roads. On wet pavement, which is much more common across the state, it takes longer to come to a stop with studded tires, and that increases the chance for accidents. The ruts formed by studs also pose a danger for drivers.

There was a time when middle-ground solutions, such as permits and premium taxes for studded tires, offered a pragmatic alternative to an outright ban. But given the advances that have occurred in the technology, the costs and hassles associated with such strategies outstrip the benefits. The market is already phasing out studded tires, which would make new bureaucracies pointless. Last year, Costco stopped carrying studded tires because of reduced demand.

The state estimates that studs inflict $18.2 million in damage annually. The city of Spokane is in the midst of a 10-year bond designed to raise $117 million for road repairs. Otherwise, it has no dedicated funding source for street maintenance. As the orange-cone season approaches, we need to seriously consider how counterproductive it is to allow unnecessary damage to our roads.

The frigid states of Wisconsin and Minnesota have outlawed studded tires. Such a ban here would help get us out of a rut.