Winter is on its way and for some of us, that may mean switching out our regular tires for ones that can handle the icy and snowy roads. If you live in high snowy areas of the country, you might purchase snow tires with studs. Studded tires provide a superior grip on icy and hard-packed snowy roads and make them the best tire for harsh winter weather conditions. Before rushing out and purchasing studded tires, there is some information you need to know to make sure these are the tires for you.
- The studs in a studded tire dig directly into the ice to help your tires to move. Think of them like tiny ice picks or anchors. When driving on studded tires, if the car speeds up, turns, or breaks on ice, the studded tire claws into the ice providing an additional level of grip and vehicle handling. They, too make for a little extra safety during the winter months. This is especially true if you drive frequently on mountainous, hilly, or dirt roads.
- Only studdable winter tires can have studs installed. They have engineered these tires with preset locations (holes) for the studs. Attempting to stud studless winter tires could cause structural integrity issues and reduce the performance and safety of the tire.
- The cost of studded tires varies. On a typical car, studless snow tires average about $100-$150 per tire or $250-$600 for a set of four; and on an SUV or light truck, it's typically about $200-$400 each or $600-$1,200 for a set of four.
- Depending on where you live, there are restrictions in most states for studded tires. Because metal studs dig into the pavement, they can damage streets. States don’t take too kindly to this damage, so they restrict when you can use metal studded tires, and that is mostly determined by the weather and road conditions of each state. Check the laws of your state for permissions and times that studded tires are allowed or check out this state list from AAA.
I hope this article has given you much-needed information about studded tires. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of studded snow tires and make the best decision for you. As always, stay safe out there!
Mark Sugar at Dodge City www.MarkSugarDrives.com
