Mother Lode motorists who drive in the upper elevations have another month before they have to put away their winter studded snow tires.
California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Wills explained, the former end of March deadline was extended. In the past, the day which the winter traction tires had to come off cars and trucks used for seasonal use in California was March 31, but Wills said, some folks have been calling the CHP office asking when the last day is. “We´re actually going to April 30th now. That´s the final day you can have studded tires on,” Wills said.
The change was made about a year and a half ago by the CHP. ” Every year the commissioner had the authority to extend it out for a full month,” Wills said. “Sure enough, we´d get that little bit of snow that would come in with the last few storms and he was always extending the period out.”
The CHP spokesman said a lot of people in the Crystal Falls, Cedar Ridge and Twain Harte areas use the studded tires for added traction on icy Mother Lode roads to keep them from always having to put on tire chains.They are permitted only for winter driving.
For drivers in Oregon, studded tire season in that state ends today. Wills said after the April 30th deadline, officers can issue tickets to motorists still driving vehicles equipped with the studded tires.
It´s not difficult to identify a car driving along with the winter tires. “All an officer has to do is sit along side of the road while they are working radar and listen to the click, click click go by and they know they still have studded tires on.”
Officers will issue a “fix-it” ticket in those cases, Wills explained.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 4:30 pm