Mat-Su residents required to change out studded tires by May 1

WASILLA — Residents of south central Alaska are required by law to take studs out of their tires by May, 2018. Those caught by law enforcement could end up with a $50 fine, per tire. As the roads continue to thaw, now is a great time to make an appointment with a tire shop or prepare to change your own tires, according to Shannon McCarthy Media Liaison, Admin Operations Manager for the Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT).

“You don’t need studded tires when the roads are dry,” McCarthy said.

Studs cause a lot of damage on the roads as the metal spikes pull the asphalt from the ground, leaving divots and weakening the structure, she said, blaming their use for a large part of the state’s already bumpy roads. According to McCarthy, Alaska is at a higher rates for repairing roads compared to other northern states, such as Minnesota, where studded tires are banned outright,

“It’s OK that AK allows studded tires, there’s just a cost to it,” McCarthy said.

She said that in the past 15 years, technology has advanced and there are more alternatives to studded tires for winter driving. All-season tires are a common alternative.

“There are a lot of options for people to think about,”

McCarthy noted that while studded tires grip ice effectively, they don’t fare well on rainy roads; causing more risk of slipping and losing control of the vehicle.

McCarthy speculated that as technology advances, more alternatives to studded tires may become available.

“It is unlawful to operate a motor vehicle with studded tires on a paved highway or road from May 1st through September 15th, inclusive, north of 60 North Latitude and from April 15th through September 30th, inclusive, south of 60 North Latitude, except that at any latitude on a paved portion of the Sterling Highway a person may not operate a motor vehicle with studded tires from May 1st through September 15th, inclusive,” according to the DOT website.

Like tax returns and dividends, a fair numbers of Alaskans wait undoubtedly wait until the deadline rolls around to change their tires over. Tires shops across the Mat-Su Valley tend to fill up as May 1st gets closer.

“That’s why we encourage people to starting planning for it,” McCarthy said.