Is it already snowing on the roads in your area of the country? Winter is coming and for some of us, that means switching out our regular tires for ones that can handle the snow and ice. If you live in high snow accumulation areas of the country, you might consider purchasing snow tires with studs. Studded tires provide superior grip on icy and hard-packed snowy roads and make them the go-to tire for rough winter conditions. Before running out and purchasing studded tires, there is some information you need to know.
- 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 a mountain, hilly roads or dirt roads too.
- 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 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!
