Officials Urge Removal of Studded Tires by End of March

Studded tires are great in ice and snow but state officails say they're tough on state roads and they hope you'll have studds removed by the end of the month.

THERE'S A DEADLINE FOR A REASON

Washington State Department of Transportation officials say drivers need to remove studded tires at the end of the month. If you meet the deadline you'll be able to avoid a $137 fine which they say could be issued by the Washington State Patrol starting as soon as April 1. Studded tires are legal in Washington from Nov. 1 to March 31. State officials say there's a reason why they are only allowed during a certain time period.

TAXPAYERS SPEND A LOT OF MONEY FOR DAMAGE EVERY YEAR

“Studded tires cause between $20 million to $29 million in damage to state-owned roads in Washington each winter and also damage city and county roads,” say WSDOT Officials. They urge you to explore all traction options, including non-stud, winter-tread tires which are different from all-season tires. "These tires are legal year-round and don’t damage our highways.”

NO EXTENSIONS EXPECTED THIS YEAR

As you might assume state law gives the Washington State Department of Transportation the authority to extend the deadline when there's changes in the weather.
While late season storms are possible in the mountain passes, there are no forecasted statewide storms that call for an extension this year.

CHECK THOSE GAS PRICES LATELY?

If you are driving to the gas station after changing tires average gasoline prices in Yakima have fallen 2.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.81 per gallon today, according to GasBuddy's survey of 91 stations in Yakima.