Studded Tires to Return to Washington Roads

Studded tires will soon be legal again on Washington roads.

These tires, unlawful most of the year, are permissible between November 1 and March 31, according to WSDOT. (This despite the damage they purportedly cause to state-owned, as well as city and county roads.)

According to the tire retail chain Les Schwab, "Studs are lightweight, small metal spikes (studs) that are staggered and inserted across the tread of a winter tire. These studs protrude slightly from the rubber tread surface, helping break through packed snow and ice-covered roads to give you better traction."

Get our free mobile app

"A good set of tires is essential for winter driving, whatever the weather. If you’re heading into snow and ice, studded tires can have a big impact on your safety. A vehicle equipped with winter traction tires can stop faster on ice than a car without those tires - even if you’re driving just 15 miles per hour. Studded tires work best on snow and ice-covered roads that have yet to be fully plowed. As the studs pierce the ice and snow, they provide extra traction to keep you safe and in control."

But studded tires aren't always ideal for maximizing winter driving safety. Again we defer to Les Schwab.

"Studded tires provide optimal traction on ice or packed snow. But studless winter tires work well on slush and packed snow thanks to wide, deep grooves in the tread and lots of irregular surfaces with sharp edges. These allow the rubber to cut through the snow and grip the road."

This isn't necessarily a moot point, says WSDOT spokesperson Lauren Loebsack, but there are other things to consider.

"Winter prep is knowing what the conditions are," Loebsack says. "Being prepared for that winter driving means proper traction tires, whether they be studded tires after November 1 or siped winter tires. And winter traveling into the mountain passes that have chain requirements - you need to carry chains no matter what." (All-wheel drive, Loebsack says, does not negate the necessity of chains.)

"There's more than just the traction tire requirement," Loebsack reiterates. "We want to make sure you have a full tank of gas, that your windshield wiper fluid is full - because you'll be going through snow, and slush, and getting splashed with slush. You need to be able to clear that windshield to be able to see."