It's time for Minnesota to legalize studded tires (Wyoming, Dakota: buy, maintenance)

[aus1ander]

First off all, de-icing chemicals including salt applications will the primary method to keeping our roads drivable regardless of what the law states about the types of snow/ice tires that are allowable. Even if you legalize certain types of winter tires, only a subset of individuals will choose to buy them and use them in winter (primarily due to the added expense).

OP, do you even drive with standard snow/ice tires? Modern non-studded winter tires are quite excellent in snow and ice conditions. I have Pirelli Scorpion winter tires and even on their fourth season of use they have performed astonishingly well.

I see no reason to legalize studded tires that will just make our roads even worse. If certain rural counties wanted to legalize them with state approval, that would be fine with me. But they should not be allowed in metropolitan areas with heavier traffic.

[slamont61]

If it's Icy Bad, stay home. Enough info is available to you to make an educated decision if driving is safe or not. Studded tires do chew up the roads, our taxes are bad enough but would skyrocket if we had to accelerate road surface replacement projects.

[Beenaroundabit]

When we first moved to AK we were told we would "need" studded tires, so we got them on my wife's vehicle.

They were not the be-all, end-all solution for safe winter driving that many people seem to assume they are. They were also pricey and were an expense that many people didn't/couldn't bother with, so they were certainly not "needed," as we were informed. And as mentioned by others, they really tore up the roads.

I didn't see all that much difference between driving the car with studs and the one without - other than the slight noise of driving the one with studs and the fact that with the studs on, you could probably get away with being less careful - don't have to worry as much about maintaining longer braking distances, don't worry as much about keeping to a moderate speed, etc.

I know studded tires have a purpose. I think they can be very useful in hilly or mountainous areas or on emergency vehicles. But I think too many people have a tendency to see them as a substitute for safe winter driving practices.

[David A Stone]

Studded tires do give an advantage on ice.


I do agree that studded tires used to replace safer driving years back.


(case in point )


In the mid 60's I was driving to work in St Cloud on deserted roads about 2:30AM.
I noticed about 10 miles from home a very slight sway to the car now and then . ( like a low rear tire) When I got to St Joe , I pulled under a street light to check if my low rear tire was safe to continue to St Cloud.


As I opened the car door and stepped out, I fell flat on my back from glare ice on the highway. My tires were fine......no low tires.
Yet, I had been driving way faster than I should have and the only hint of an icy road was a slight sway now and then.


Amazing how much studs helped on ice, but not worth the damage to the roads.

[wamer27]

The Zamboni (all Zamboni's) I drove around had studs, tons of grip on ice. Up in Anchorage our roommate had a 2 wheel drive Ranger and couldn't get up the last hill to get home, had to park 200 ft away. Bought studded tires and made it up no problem after that. Winter tires would have worked just as well, and not destroyed the roads.

[Devoncoon]

I DO understand that they DO cause damage to roads. What is the actual cost? What is the cost from salt damage? How much is your life worth? Your children's lives? There are MANY instances where road maintenance is NOT sufficient to make the roads safe and people have died. With studded tires, the state could use LESS salt or alternatively, less corrosive chemicals and create safer roads.
Maybe it would make more sense in Northern MN, say if you live north of the southern tip of Lake Superior

[Stonepa]

Studded tires are inappropriate for someplace like Minnesota. Sure, if you live up north and drive iced forest roads all winter it may make sense. But not where they scrape down to pavement. In Alaska we use them but roads are typically cleared of snow but left with a layer of ice that protects the roads.

Modern winter tires work every bit as well as studded tires on the mixed conditions like those in the cities. You need 4 winter tires, not 2. My Subaru with winter tires drives on ice like a car with all seasons does on dry pavement.

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by Devoncoon

I DO understand that they DO cause damage to roads. What is the actual cost? What is the cost from salt damage? How much is your life worth? Your children's lives? There are MANY instances where road maintenance is NOT sufficient to make the roads safe and people have died. With studded tires, the state could use LESS salt or alternatively, less corrosive chemicals and create safer roads.
Maybe it would make more sense in Northern MN, say if you live north of the southern tip of Lake Superior

seriously, what do you have like the exclusive ACME Tire Stud franchise in Two Harbors or something?

[Unsettomati]

Originally Posted by Devoncoon

I DO understand that they DO cause damage to roads. What is the actual cost? What is the cost from salt damage? How much is your life worth? Your children's lives? There are MANY instances where road maintenance is NOT sufficient to make the roads safe and people have died. With studded tires, the state could use LESS salt or alternatively, less corrosive chemicals and create safer roads.
Maybe it would make more sense in Northern MN, say if you live north of the southern tip of Lake Superior

Oh, spare us the melodramatics...

The exact same thing is true of studded tires. Or speed limits.

"55 mph, eh? How much is your life worth? Your children's lives? There are MANY instances where 55 mph is NOT sufficiently slow to make person safe and people have died."

So let's lower it to 50 mph. Then we can make the same argument there, and lower it to 45 mph. And then...

That's the rabbit hole down which your proffered 'logic' leads.

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by wamer27

The Zamboni (all Zamboni's) I drove around had studs, tons of grip on ice.

This guy seems to have figured out a solution.
Alberta man driving a Zamboni through Tim Hortons drive-thru is peak Canadiana - Autoblog