PERMANENT RULES
Date of Adoption: June 29, 2000.
Purpose: To clarify the use of studded tires by removing information that implies studded tires and chains are considered equal, as approved traction devices.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 204-24-030 Standards for studded tires.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 46.12.330.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 00-11-173 on May 24, 2000.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0. Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
June 29, 2000
Annette M. Sandberg
Chief
OTS-3918.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 92-05-016, filed 2/10/92,
effective 3/12/92)
WAC 204-24-030
Standards for studded tires.
Studded tires shall meet the following specifications:
(1) Studs shall be metal, tipped with tungsten carbide.
(2) Metal studs shall be inserted only in a new tire or a newly-recapped tire which has molded in the tread the "pin-holes" into which metal studs are to be inserted. Studs shall not be inserted in any new tire or newly-recapped tire after it has been driven on a vehicle.
(3) Metal studs may be installed only by the tire manufacturer, or by a tire dealer or tire jobber who shall install the metal studs in conformance with the manufacturer's specifications.
(4) When a tire is sold or offered for sale as a studded tire or when studs are installed in a new tire or a newly-recapped tire, there shall be a minimum of seventy metal studs evenly spaced around the tread of the tire.
(5) A tire shall contain a minimum of fifty-six metal studs
at all times in order to qualify as a "studded tire" or as an
approved traction device where traffic control signs marked
(("chains" or)) "approved traction tires required" are posted.
(6) Metal studs shall not be installed in any tire of a vehicle which has a gross vehicle weight of ten thousand pounds or over.
(7) School buses and fire department equipment tires are exempt from subsection (6) of this section.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.37.420. 92-05-016, § 204-24-030, filed 2/10/92, effective 3/12/92; 83-21-080 (Order 83-10-01), § 204-24-030, filed 10/19/83; Order 7607, § 204-24-030, filed 9/14/76; Order 6902, § 204-24-030, filed 2/17/70.]