All-weather tires hold advantages over studded tires in certain conditions. The main advantage of course being that they can be used year-round and therefore eliminating the need for the changeover of tires. In addition, there is no need to second guess at what moment to change into or out of studded tires. Also studded tires come with a lot of regulations. In general, studded tires have restrictions in most states with only seven States allowing their use without restrictions. In fact, they are illegal in 11 States mostly due to the damage they do to the roads. No matter what state you reside in at one point when winter is over you need to change out of the studded tires as they cause significant damage to dry roads and are therefore not meant to be driven on dry asphalt roads. The tires create ruts which fill with water and ice creating spray and hydroplaning. With all-weather tires you can move smoothly from winter to spring without worrying about damaging the road or your tires. Even in the States where studded tires are allowed it is very important to change out of studded tires after the winter. This is because in addition to damaging roads studded winter tires are not meant to be used in warmer weather as the softer rubber compound heats up and is unable to grip the road properly making for longer braking distance.
All-weather tires, like winter tires, hold the “Three Peak Mountain Snowflake” emblem which means that they have passed the same required performance criteria in snow testing as winter tires. In fact, recent performance testing has shown that all-weather tires perform as well if not better than winter tires on snow and ice with the additional convenience that they can be used in other seasons. New innovations allow for excellent grip in all road conditions from dry, wet, snowy and icy roads. Studded tires on the other in addition to the potential damage to the roads the studded tires are not meant to be used in seasons other than winter due to the softer rubber compounds and that the studs don’t handle well on other than snow and icy ground. The only real advantage of studded tires is the superior grip on icy and hard-packed snowy roads. The studded tires provide an additional level of grip because they are not just interacting with the road surface conditions; the studs penetrate frozen precipitation and dig in like miniature anchors.
All-weather tires are much more flexible than studded tires that hold many restrictions and inconveniences. Even with the newer generation of studded tires it is still important to change out of winter tires when the winter is over. If living in an area with severe winter weather with lots of hard packed snow and ice, then studded tires can be an option if you are willing to deal with the changeover of tires when spring arrives.
For more information regarding all-weather tires, visit: www.nokiantires.com
