OCR Text |
Show One More Winter For Studded Tires The State Road Commission Commis-sion of Utah in Salt Lake Citv unanimously decided to ban all studded tires effective ef-fective April 15, 1972. This action comes at the recommendation recom-mendation of the Utah Stale Highway Department Depart-ment after participating acually and financially in extensive tests on the effects ef-fects of studded tires on safety of the motoring public pub-lic and the wear caused by studs on Utah highways. The Road Commission will permit one more season sea-son of studded snow tires in consideration of those Who now own studded snow tires so they may obtain ob-tain another seasons use for their investment. Expressing concern for non - resident travelers coming to Utah for recreational recrea-tional purposes, the Road Commission directed the- Utah Highway Department and its legal council Ithrough the Attorney Gen- , eral to investigate the possibility pos-sibility of tourists qualifying qualify-ing under this category a permissive time of use of vided such use is permitt-studded permitt-studded snow tires pro-ed pro-ed in their state of registration. regis-tration. Utah motorists will still be required by previous commission action to wait until October 15 to use their studded tires for this ifjinal winter season. Studies by the Utah Department De-partment of Highways, the Minnisota Highway Department De-partment have demonstrated demonstrat-ed that studs caused excessive exces-sive damage to pavement surfaces and delineation markings. The rutting caused caus-ed by these itires have already al-ready worn one-quarter inch into the Interstate Highways in the Salt Lake TT!, 1 rn..f area, nignway ou-ment ou-ment experts stated this rutting causes many hazardous haz-ardous conditions. These ruts collect water which causes excessive spraying on windshields of' other vehicles. ve-hicles. This water also creates a hydroplaning effect ef-fect for high speed vehicles. vehic-les. The collected water also al-so has a tendency to ice over sooner than the rest of the pavement causing confusing road conditions. Drivers trying to avoid (these ruts have to dive too close ito the edge of their lane. -. Highway engineers esti mated that over , 40 ooo win be Spee t ten years to rep, . J-re damage on ' (fl terstate High V The Highwa8 ment acknowltd- f is an establish ; U studded tires do V W more traction a J stopping distance I"' ' ice However, g,4 , & ditions only l'.S Utah less thanP 1 cent of the time winter months J: V ?' felt that any ; pre gained by (the use V' cled tires on giare-! ijir far outweighed bv tv advantages and' 0 created by the stJ wet or dry paveni ! ,vh reports indicated ft,. c; pingi distance on "' oi: dry concrete surface 1 as found on the Sal-' Interstate system -1?U1 greater than the si, distance of regular"' tl,e The department alstJ : Cc that vehicles with tires have greater tet:' to rotate (spin out l trol) than cars with ! ir,e' ventional tires. -jttef " "icoLing yestf jan with tire manufactL- (ne the Road Commission, - ai told by a tire stud , ; man that to be of any' ue on glare ice, st.; "j j tires, by virtue of ; '., j, function, will always 'm some amount of road;- age. The salesman !. damage could be : f- twenty five percent thi .'' technical advances ij manufacturing of stud;: the design of the tires.! f thing, however, was r 'k tioned concerning pr; ;1'01 ing better stopping ; '"! ances for motroists on; or dry concrete" surfc ::"0i : ire |