Bulletin E-Edition:
more photosBill could put the brakes on studded tires
By Andrew Moore / The Bulletin
Published: February 27. 2009 4:00AM PSTStudded tires could conceivably be banned under a new bill introduced in the Oregon Legislature, but a ban seems unlikely, according to state officials.
According to Oregon House Bill 2186, the state Environmental Quality Commission could “restrict and prohibit the sale and distribution of after-market motor vehicle parts, including but not limited to tires, if alternatives are available that decrease greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.”
The bill intends to help the state achieve its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Studded tires — tires embedded with small steel studs to improve traction on snow and ice — are less fuel efficient than all-weather tires due to the amount of tread and the studs. The more tread a tire has, the more fuel it takes to overcome the friction caused by the tire as it meets the pavement. However, that increased friction makes treaded tires safer because they can stop faster.
In scientific terms, the balance between a tire’s friction and fuel efficiency is called rolling resistance. The higher the rolling resistance, the more fuel is needed to rotate a tire.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 5 to 15 percent of passenger cars’ fuel consumption is used to overcome rolling resistance. It increases to 15 to 30 percent for heavy trucks, according to the department.
The federal government does not currently require tire manufactures to include a tire’s rolling resistance on the tire label, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is working on a standard that could be included on tire labels, said Jodie Hueske, a spokeswoman for Bend-based Les Schwab Tire Centers.
Because of that, Hueske believes the state is overreaching.
“(The federal government) is presently looking into this issue, and it seems to me the state should be waiting for (it) to complete its review before they step forward and waste their time putting together a bill that may be undone by the federal government,” Hueske said.
Andy Ginsburg, with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, said the bill has been the subject of substantial misinformation. Ginsburg said the bill only gives the state Environmental Quality Commission the authority to regulate tires and other aftermarket automotive products. In other words, the commission could choose not to regulate tires and other aftermarket automotive products.
Secondly, Ginsburg said the Legislature has signaled it’s willing to allow amendments that will clarify aspects of the bill. Ginsburg said safety is not being sacrificed in the name of environmental progress.
“The bill authorizes the commission to adopt a variety of measures that requires them to look at cost effectiveness and safety aspects before adopting anything,” Ginsburg said.
Ginsburg said the bill is not likely to ban studded tires but instead work with the tire industry to find the studded tire with the best rolling resistance.
“The basic concept is tires play an important part of the fuel economy of a car. Better fuel economy means lower emissions and a lower cost of operation, so it’s a win-win,” Ginsburg said.
California already has enacted a law that aims to provide consumers with the rolling resistance rating for tires purchased in the state.
Paul Fiore, the director of government and business relations for the Bowie, Md.-based Tire Industry Association, said that due to the vagaries of accurately measuring fuel economy — which is dependent on tire pressure, alignment, road conditions and the vehicle’s weight — trying to set standards for tire efficiency will end up confusing consumers.
“Frankly, it’s one of those things that the environmental community is solidly behind but I believe is misguided,” Fiore said. “We’re really only talking about a drop in the bucket.”
The bill was introduced by Gov. Ted Kulongoski as part of his overall climate change package, said Rem Nivens, a spokesman for the governor’s office.
Andrew Moore can be reached at 541-617-7820 or amoore@bendbulletin.com.
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