Officials conducted the season's first studded tire count on Oct. 17th The breakdown revealed that 7.2% of vehicles utilized studded tires, leaving 92.8% on other varieties. During the same week last year, studded tires accounted for 15% of the total. Regulations permit studded tires from Nov. 1 through April 15th Despite this allowance, studded tires are neither necessary nor desirable on Reykjavík City streets.
Numerous stud-free winter tires score highly in independent tests. Evaluators primarily judge these tires on handling, braking, lateral grip, acceleration, road wear, and overall driving performance. Stud-free options include standard winter tires, hard-compound models, hard-shell designs, foam-filled tires, and all-season variants.
Drivers must avoid relying on old, worn tires. The regulation on vehicle construction and equipment prohibits winter tires with a tread depth below 3.0 millimeters.
Studs don't help in snow
Tire studs don't help with driving in snow, only under specific icy road conditions. Reykjavík City provides extensive winter maintenance services for streets and will collaborate more closely with the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration on proactive deicing this winter. Crews will prioritize each residential street and clear them overnight as needed. Residents will receive more frequent updates on the progress of these winter maintenance services.
Because of these robust services, Reykjavík City recommends quality stud-free tires for urban driving.
Main drawbacks of studded tires
- Air pollution — studded tires generate suspended particulates that enter the lungs, making a vehicle with studded tires pollute 40 times more than one without them.
- Road wear — studded tires carve ruts into asphalt, driving up maintenance needs and costs.
- Noise — studded tires disturb and fatigue residents, diminishing overall quality of life.
- Fuel consumption — vehicles with studded tires burn more fuel and produce more soot.
- Premature deaths — studded tires increase the risk of early death by worsening pollution.
The best advice is always to drive carefully and adjust speeds to road conditions. Drivers must diligently clean windows, scrape ice, maintain proper tire pressure, and regularly remove tar or debris from their tires.
Info on winter tires and studded tires