Studded tire permit a bad idea

A proposed $75 permit to use studded tires is supposed to ensure Washington's drivers pay for highway damage caused by the tires.

Damage is estimated between $17.8 million to $27.3 million annually, according to transportation officials.

But we are concerned it adds an unnecessary burden on drivers who brave the mountain passes during the winter (when chains are required) and other areas that receive heavy snow.

At times, drivers don't have any choice but to use chains to safety reach their destinations.

We also wonder what effect the bill, if made law, would have on tire businesses.

On our Facebook page, Columbia Basin Herald readers weighed in. Eight readers were opposed to the proposal (with one reader calling it ridiculous), two were in favor and two were skeptical. A reader questioned the state's figures and another person accused the state of a money-grab.

On the other side of the spectrum, a woman wrote she thought people relied on studded tires too much. She recommended good all-weather tires and sane driving.

The bill, titled Senate Bill 5583, received a public hearing before the Senate Transportation Committee in Olympia Wednesday. Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, sponsored the bill.

If it makes it out of the transportation committee, the bill heads to the rules committee and then possibly receives a vote in the state House of Representatives. If the House OKs the bill, it could go to a vote in the Senate.

We encourage you to contact your legislators about the issue (see their contact information below). There is still time to weigh in.

- Editorial Board