{"id":1210,"date":"2025-12-08T22:20:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T23:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/?p=1210"},"modified":"2025-12-12T10:21:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T10:21:55","slug":"washington-rethinks-studded-tires-after-seeing-the-states-repair-bills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/08\/washington-rethinks-studded-tires-after-seeing-the-states-repair-bills\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington Rethinks Studded Tires After Seeing The State\u2019s Repair Bills"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image lazyload\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DSC08379-copy-1024x576-1.jpg\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Washington may revive a studded tire ban after data shows heavy damage.<\/li>\n<li>Report says studded tires cause up to $29M yearly repairs yet raise $315K.<\/li>\n<li>Lawmakers could increase fees and phase out studs statewide over years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Studded tires were created to boost traction and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/tag\/safety\/\">safety<\/a> in icy, snow-packed conditions. But in Washington, a state where winter weather is common, there&rsquo;s a push to ban them altogether. The reason? They&rsquo;re wearing down roads at a rate the state can&rsquo;t afford, and officials argue the safety benefits no longer justify the cost. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-placement\">\n<div id=\"82503191-e1d1-435a-874f-9c78a2a54a2f\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"0f7e3106-c4d6-4db4-8135-c508879a76f8\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\tvar adpushup = window.adpushup  = window.adpushup || {que:[]};<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tadpushup.que.push(function() {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tif (adpushup.config.platform !== &#8220;DESKTOP&#8221;){<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;0f7e3106-c4d6-4db4-8135-c508879a76f8&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t} else {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;82503191-e1d1-435a-874f-9c78a2a54a2f&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<p>According to a new annual report from the Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC), eliminating studded <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/tag\/tires\/\">tires<\/a> could save the state $20&ndash;$29 million every year, and that&rsquo;s just on state highways. Damage to city and county roads adds millions more. <\/p>\n<p><strong>More: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2024\/12\/tires-of-the-future-could-adapt-to-driving-conditions\/\">Smart Tires Could Automatically Adapt To Driving Conditions By 2035<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Washington&rsquo;s existing $5 fee on studded tires barely moves the needle, generating an average of just $315,000 annually over the last five years.<\/p>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article-thumbnails-organic\"><\/div>\n<p>Right now, Washington allows studded tires from November 1 to March 31. Anyone running them outside those dates gets hit with a $137 citation. The limited window, combined with the $5 fee, has already caused usage to decline sharply. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Weighing the Real Cost<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/card-202506-blizzak-winter-review-images-na-bst-web-consumer.jpg\" data-type=\"inarticle-image-block\"> <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<p>                    <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" src=\"\" alt=\" Washington Rethinks Studded Tires After Seeing The State&rsquo;s Repair Bills\" width=\"2050\" height=\"1173\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/card-202506-blizzak-winter-review-images-na-bst-web-consumer-1024x586.jpg\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>        <\/a>  <\/p>\n<p>Still, the WSTC says it&rsquo;s nowhere near enough. Not only does the current system fail to pay for the damage, but newer data also suggests that drivers might be better off without studs in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>Over 20 years ago, Washington studied the effectiveness of studded tires. It found that they were most effective right at the freezing point and that traction decreased as temperatures went up or even down from there. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-placement\">\n<div id=\"9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"> <\/div>\n<div id=\"bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"> <\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\tvar adpushup = window.adpushup  = window.adpushup || {que:[]};<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tadpushup.que.push(function() {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tif (adpushup.config.platform !== &#8220;DESKTOP&#8221;){<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t} else {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2025\/05\/us-threatens-action-over-pirelli-tech-hidden-in-your-cars-tires\/\">US Threatens Action Over Pirelli Tech Hidden In Your Car&rsquo;s Tires<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today, tire technology has made significant leaps and bounds forward, so the state believes it&rsquo;s high time to ditch studded tires altogether.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Proposed Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kxly.com\/news\/washington-lawmakers-could-try-again-to-ban-studded-tires\/article_f15d1a3a-dcab-422a-9c2c-8ba392189bf9.html\">KXLY<\/a>, the commission recommends a clear path. Raise the studded-tire surcharge from $5 to $50, rename it the &ldquo;pavement impact fee,&rdquo; and use the next several years to phase out studded tires statewide. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-placement\">\n<div id=\"e46c436a-adeb-4b5e-a2c7-56bc36561c10\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"> <\/div>\n<div id=\"b25ecba7-3bbb-4ea7-a3a8-dbea91695c07\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"> <\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\tvar adpushup = window.adpushup  = window.adpushup || {que:[]};<br \/>\n         \t\tadpushup.que.push(function() {<br \/>\n             \t\tif (adpushup.config.platform !== &#8220;DESKTOP&#8221;){<br \/>\n    \t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;b25ecba7-3bbb-4ea7-a3a8-dbea91695c07&#8221;);<br \/>\n             \t\t} else {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;e46c436a-adeb-4b5e-a2c7-56bc36561c10&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Washington lawmakers have tried to advance bans before, most recently in 2019, but none made it out of committee. A two-year phaseout is on the table, though lawmakers would ultimately determine the timeline. This time, it might get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2023\/12\/tesla-cybertruck-hits-a-snowblock-and-needs-a-ford-to-get-out\/\">a little more traction<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/winter-snow-tires-vs-hero-learn-na-bst-web-consumer.jpg\" data-type=\"inarticle-image-block\"> <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<p>                    <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" src=\"\" alt=\" Washington Rethinks Studded Tires After Seeing The State&rsquo;s Repair Bills\" width=\"2050\" height=\"990\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/winter-snow-tires-vs-hero-learn-na-bst-web-consumer-1024x495.jpg\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>        <\/a>  <\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Photos Bridgestone, Lead image Nokian<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington may revive a studded tire ban after data shows heavy damage. Report says studded tires cause up to $29M yearly repairs yet raise $315K. Lawmakers could increase fees and phase out studs statewide over years. Studded tires were created to boost traction and safety in icy, snow-packed conditions. But in Washington, a state where [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1212,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1210"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1210"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1213,"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1210\/revisions\/1213"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.midborodocuments.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}