AFTER STUDS IN MINNESOTA

AFTER SIX WINTERS OF LEGALIZED USE IN MINNESOTA (1965 TO 1971), STUDDED TIRES WERE PROHIBITED DURING THE WINTERS OF 1971-72 AND 1972-73. COMPARISONS ARE MADE IN THIS REPORT OF THE EFFECTS OBSERVED AFTER 1 YEAR WITHOUT STUDS AS AGAINST THE PREVIOUS 6-YEAR PERIOD WITH STUDS. OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE OVER SEVERAL WINTERS ON VARIOUS TYPES OF ROADS AND STREETS TO ASCERTAIN THE PROPORTION OF TIME THAT ICY COVER CONDITIONS PREVAILED WHEN STUDDED TIRES COULD HAVE SOME BENEFICIAL EFFECT. UP TO 44,000 SUCH OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE IN THE WINTER OF 1971-72. ICY CONDITIONS PREVAILED NO MORE THAN 1 PERCENT OF THE TIME IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA ON PREDOMINANTLY HIGH-VOLUME AND HIGH-SPEED ROAADS. ON LOW- VOLUME AND LOW-SPEED ROADS AND STREETS, ICY CONDITIONS OCCURRED MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY. TRAFFIC ACCIDENT DATA WERE ASSEMBLED AND ANALYZED BY THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY COMPARING THE RECORDS FOR THE 1971-72 WINTER WITHOUT STUDS AGAINST THE PRECEDING THREE WINTERS WITH STUDS FOR SNOWY OR ICY ROADS, THE WINTER ITHOUT STUDS COMPARED FAVORABLY WITH THE PREVIOUS INTERS WITH STUDS. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, THERE WAS NO APPRECIABLE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF DISCONTINUANCE OF STUDDED TIRES. NOISE LEVEL MEASUREMENTS INDICATED THAT PAVEMENTS BADLY WORN BY STUDDED TIRES AND HAVING COARSE AGGREGATE PARTICLES EXPOSED COULD YIELD NOISE LEVELS ALMOST TWICE AS HIGH AS THE ORIGINAL SURFACE TEXTURE MIGHT PRODUCE. (AUTHOR)

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    • Sponsored by Committee on Winter Driving Traction Aids. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
  • Authors:
    • Preus, C K
  • Conference:
  • Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Tables;
  • Pagination: pp 11-15
  • Monograph Title: Winter driving traction aids
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00222415
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 0309022630
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Jul 31 1974 12:00AM