Washington Could Ban Studded Tires

The Washington State Transportation Commission is recommending a phase-out of studded tires, citing cost savings and road maintenance as benefits.

According to a report from the Washington State Transportation Commission, “Washington state owns a transportation system that would cost over $200 billion to replace today, making it critically important to maintain what we have. One simple thing that can be done to save the state between $20 million to $29 million annually would be to phase out the use of studded snow tires on public roadways.

"The current fee on studded tires of $5 has generated an average of $315,000 annually over the past five years, a fraction of the damage the tires cause to Washington’s roadways. With affordable snow tire alternatives available today that provide an even higher level of safety, the time is now to phase out studded tires and save our pavement.”

In addition to phasing out studded tires, the commission is calling for Washington’s current studded tire fee to increase from $5 to $50 per tire and says the fee should be instead called a “pavement impact fee,” adding that “within five years of this fee increase, studded tires should be prohibited.” 

Washington State allowed the use of studded tires year-round until 1971, when lawmakers limited their use to November 1 through April 1 annually. 

The state’s department of transportation “recommends good winter traction tires as the best all-around winter driving solution due to their ability to handle multiple types of road conditions.”