Subscribe now

No justification for studs

The Spokesman-Review

It seems that the most convenient way to avoid a controversial issue for our state lawmakers is to ignore it. SB 5859 would have required users of studded snow tires to pay a $100 permit fee for these tires at purchase time and for each year the vehicle license is renewed. The Senate Transportation Committee did nothing with this bill.

The users of studded snow tires are a very small minority of drivers and the damage they cause to our streets and highways does not justify their continued use, permit fee or not. While these tires may prove useful on frozen mud or ice, they are mostly driven on dry roads where they will actually have less traction than the same snow tire without studs. This is because on dry pavement, these tires run partly on the studs and will not have as much rubber in contact with the road.

It’s time to get these pavement eaters off our highways.

Tom Starr

Spokane

Letters policy

The Spokesman-Review invites original letters on local topics of public interest. Your letter must adhere to the following rules:

  • No more than 250 words
  • We reserve the right to reject letters that are not factually correct, racist or are written with malice.
  • We cannot accept more than one letter a month from the same writer.
  • With each letter, include your daytime phone number and street address.
  • The Spokesman-Review retains the nonexclusive right to archive and re-publish any material submitted for publication.

Unfortunately, we don’t have space to publish all letters received, nor are we able to acknowledge their receipt. (Learn more.)

Submit letters using any of the following:

Our online form
Submit your letter here
Mail
Letters to the Editor
The Spokesman-Review
999 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
Email
editor@spokesman.com
Fax
(509) 459-3815
Phone
(509) 459-5430

Read more about how we crafted our Letters to the Editor policy