A letter to the editor of the Spokesman-Review last week extolling the virtues of studded snow tires stirred up quite a response. Here are three rebuttal letters that ran in today's paper:
Sold on studless tires
Letter to the editor: The Spokesman Review
After reading Chic Burge’s letter to the editor on studded tires (Sept. 29), I just had to comment.
With our skiing family I have driven tens of thousands of winter miles, mostly on studs. Four years ago I bought a set of studless winter tires for my front wheel drive car. I was completely surprised.
On tough icy days, when studs should be far superior, I find that they are at least as good as studs; on regular winter days of snow, slush, wet and dry pavement, they have much better grip and control than studs.
Now all the cars in our family have four winter studless tires in the winter. It’s not a question of what’s best for the pavement or children vs. money (as Mr. Burge indicates), it’s a question of what’s the best and safest tire for winter driving.
The technology of today’s studless winter tires has surpassed the old technology of studs. I encourage everyone to try a set; even skeptics will be pleasantly surprised.
Bill Brooks
Spokane
Wiser spending preferred
Letter to the editor: The Spokesman Review
SPOKANE - In response to Chic Burges letter (Studded tires worth it, Sept. 29), the point was made that $15 million was worth saving the lives of inexperienced winter drivers.
However, tax dollars are not infinite. They need to be spent in a manner that provides maximum return.
Far more lives could be saved if even just part of that $15 million went towards hiring additional police officers to monitor and stop speeding, drunk and/or aggressive drivers.
And this would keep all of us safer all year long, not just inexperienced teenage drivers going snowboarding.
Carla J. Benson,
Spokane
Studs provide false security
Letter to the editor: The Spokesman Review
Chic Burges attempt to justify studded winter tires (Letters, Sept. 29) cries out for a response. The writer asserts that the use of studded tires has saved my 64-year-old behind several times. There is not a shred of evidence to support such an assertion. Not included in Chics deeply-flawed opinion is the fact that drivers of all ages slap studded tires on their four-wheel-drive vehicles and then proceed to drive like maniacs tailgating, speeding and taking chances. This reduces rather than enhances general safety on our winter roads.
If excellent winter snow tires were substituted for studs, along with some serious driver re-education, a notably safer overall driving environment would result.
Studded tires create a false security blanket which many incorrectly believe will provide safety. Not so. For those exceptionally rare circumstances where studded tires actually hold a slight advantage, dont be so lazy. Put on chains, drive safely, then take them off so as to avoid driving 99 percent of the time on bare roads. Even without the compelling financial reasons for doing away with these road busters, all drivers on the road would be safer, whether or not they might acknowledge that fact.
James Schoepflin,
Spokane
2 comments:
I agree studs are only useful on ice, and we don't have a lot of ice covered roads here. The best snow tires I ever had were walnut shell snow tires, they imbedded ground up walnut shells in the rubber and they worked well on both snow and ice. They wore out quickly though and so the tire makers have not made them in years.
I think they need to put a fee per stud when you buy the tire and use that money for road repairs.
I had really good luck with siped tires one year, but don't even know if they do that anymore either. The fee for studded tires issue has been tossed around a lot lately but doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
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