Scientists find studded tires are bad for health

The fine dust generated by studded tires mixes with various pollutants on the asphalt and penetrates the human lungs and can cause serious health problems.

Research carried out in Finland under the NASTA program showed that about 75% of dust on the streets of Helsinki comes from the use of studded car tires. The study concluded that studded tires apparently generate much more dust than flat winter tires and summer tires.

Heiki Junninen, professor of environmental physics at the University of Tartu, noted that dust and fine particles generated by the use of studded rubber are sometimes so microscopic that they can penetrate deep into the lungs of a person along with the inhaled air, causing illness.

"Since they [particles] come from the road surface, which is thoroughly polluted by cars and their exhaust gases, they contain carcinogenic substances and can cause cancer. In this sense, there is a direct relationship between the development of cancer and those small particles that, so to speak, are scraped off asphalt, "Junninen said.

Spiked rubber dust is a major problem in cities, where tall buildings line the streets, trapping air between them, he added. In this regard, the professor recommends avoiding the use of studded tires in cities and on major highways, although in some rural areas studded wheels are indispensable.

"This problem has three aspects. One aspect is the safety of the person in the car, how well the spikes slow down compared to the sipe. The second is how much we destroy the road surface, ie how much it costs the city. Finally, how much we pollute the air." , - said Junninen.

Ain Kendra, lecturer of road engineering at Tallinn University of Technology, noted that the wear of the road surface with studded rubber is a big problem. According to him, the destruction of the coating primarily depends on the speed of movement.

"The spikes hit the stones in the asphalt and crush them. And if the speed is lower, then they twist these stones out of the asphalt. One study in Finland showed that the speed of 40-50 km / h is optimal, and if it falls below that, then the wear even increased. In general, we know that the higher the speed, the more the wear [of the road] accelerates, in fact, in a quadratic relationship. But at low speeds, wear is also accelerated because the studs twist the stone out of the asphalt, "Kendra explained.

The scientist added that although the use of studded tires in Estonia has decreased in recent years, they cannot be completely ruled out in local dirt towns and sometimes for novice drivers.

“Finnish studies show that it is wiser for experienced drivers to use flat tires, while for beginners it is better to use studded tires at first. If you drive mainly in the city or on the main highways, then there is no reason to give preference to studded tires, "said Kendra.

From June 2020, the use of winter tires in Finland has become voluntary. It is recommended to use them from the beginning of November to the end of March, but theoretically the new version of the law allows year-round driving on summer tires.