Tests show that winter tires without studs and studs work relatively the same in winter conditions, and the choice of which one to buy usually depends on personal preference, local suppliers said. The test measured traction in terms of the number of seconds it took each car to drive 60 feet. Studless tires in the test included Michelin`s X-Ice, Dunlop`s Graspic DS-2 and Bridgestone`s WS60. The studded tire was a Firestone Winterforce. Jacobsen said the two tires are comparable in terms of price and durability. Studless tires are becoming increasingly popular because many new tire sizes are available without studs, said Bob Elliott, branch manager at Ken`s Tire Center in South Lake Tahoe. He drives studded tires on his Corolla. “It`s a very soft rubber compound that wears out faster than a studded winter tire,” David said. In Tahoe City and the West Bank, members of the Placer County Sheriff`s Department drive studded tires in the winter. In addition to traction on a road covered with a layer of ice, studded tires can help break the ice on a road and eventually make it safer for other motorists, said Thor Dyson, a district engineer with the Nevada Department of Transportation. Ten states ban studded winter tires: Alabama, Texas, Florida, Maryland (except for five mountain counties), Louisiana, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Mississippi and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia and 33 states have seasonal restrictions: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. Seven states allow the unrestricted use of studded tires: Colorado, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Kentucky, New Mexico, Vermont and Wyoming.
However, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency has no scientific evidence of the contribution of the tiny particles that cause the deterioration of water quality in Lake Tahoe. Snow chains for tires are another great option for those traveling to Tahoe for a weekend of skiing. Tires can also cost 10 to 20 percent more, David said. If you have studded tires on the front axle of your car, you should also place them on the rear axle to ensure better handling and stability. Studded tire regulations are subject to change, so check regularly with agents in your area before using them. “I have a lot of people who just put pricked snow on their tires and it`s just the opposite,” said Joe David, owner of Sierra County Tire and Automotive in Kings Beach. David said he sees tires without studs wear out faster. 1. Unless otherwise specified in Subsection 2, a person shall not drive a motor vehicle equipped with tyres fitted with a block, flange, stud, burr, bead or other metal or wood protruding at the edge protruding from the thread of the tyre traction surface. Studded and studded winter tires can have a similar lifespan, depending on who is judging. “A studless tire sits on the entire contact surface of the tire and rubber to adhere to the ice,” said Matt Edmonds, vice president of the Tire Rack, which conducted a 2007 study of blunt winter tires versus spiked winter tires.
In the coming years, Jacobsen said he sees fewer and fewer people using studded tires. Studded tires have small metal protrusions inserted into the rubber to improve tire-road friction in bad weather conditions such as snow or ice. Although studded tires help drivers in bad weather, some states restrict the use of studs or ban them due to damage to the road surface. While studded winter tires arrived on the market in 1963, in 1992, a studless winter tire with the same traction as its thorny cousin arrived on the road. 1. Traction devices, tyre chains or winter tyres, motor vehicle or combination of vehicles: he places studded tyres on his Audi and studded tyres on his plough. Spike winter tires had to be removed by Thursday to maintain state roads and reduce maintenance costs, officials from the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nevada Highway Patrol said. 2.
Only tyre chains, chains or traction devices, with the exception of 4-wheel motor vehicles and winter tyres on all wheels, shall be equipped with traction devices or chains, unless otherwise authorised. Many states that ban stud farms do not allow exceptions for non-residents who are in transit or visiting. If you are caught in a state that prohibits studded tires, you could be fined and fined. “Younger generations, they don`t know anything about studded winter tires unless they hear it from their parents,” Jacobsen said. “They`re more inclined not to sting, where people who have used studded tires tend to stay with them because they know they work.” “The use of studded tires is expected to cost taxpayers millions of dollars in street wear nationwide each year,” NDOT officials said. “Tire chains, which are installed in winter weather or mud and winter tires if necessary, are an alternative to studded tires. “People tend to forget with studded winter tires that they don`t handle the same thing on dry ground as a traditional tire,” said Mark Woods, AAA Automotive Repair`s general manager for Northern California. By law, studded winter tires are only allowed from Oct.
1 to April 30, officials said. Retractable studded winter tires are allowed year-round, with studs being retracted from May 1 to September 30. Although the study recommended drivers use studless winter tires, local tire dealers and law enforcement officials are divided on the best and safest wear and tear for Tahoe winter. (a) May be equipped with traction devices, tire chains or winter tires if it has a gross weight or a combined gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less.