Use of studded tires on state highways became legal for the winter on Saturday. Their use remains legal through March 31.
But the state Department of Transportation is asking the public to consider the entire range of tire options now available.
While the wear and tear studded tires create on state highways is a cost issue, Transportation’s primary concern is safety, said state Maintenance Engineer Chris Christopher.
“Studded tires actually increase the amount of stopping distance on wet and dry pavement,” Christopher said.
“The tires also create rutting in the pavement that eventually can cause vehicles to hydroplane in rainy weather.”
Studded tires provide a safety advantage only in clear ice conditions near freezing temperatures, a condition that occurs only about one percent of the time during the winter, he said.
A relatively newer option for winter driving safety is available in tire stores this year.
Along with mud-and-snow and all-season tires, manufacturers are selling a non-studded winter driving tire, Christopher said.
Not only is the tire as safe as mud-and-snow tires, there is no seasonal restriction on its use, he said.
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The rest of the story appears in Monday’s Peninsula Daily News.