As we break out the winter gear for another cold season (at least in some parts of the country), you may find yourself making a decision about the snow tires you use on your car.  In the usual battle, studless tires are pitted against studded snow tires, but there is one factor you may not be aware of: fuel economy.

The state of Washington commissioned a report on the use and impact of studded snow tires, and came up with some very useful information.  One of those pieces of information is how studded snow tires affect fuel economy and the answer is, negatively.  Using studded snow tires can result in an increase of fuel consumption of up to 1.2 percent.  While that may not seem like much, consider that the average miles driven in one year are 12,000, and for us northerners, about half may be driven with snow tires on.

Studded snow tires contribute to road damage, which requires more repairs on the roads and also causes more wear and tear on the vehicles driving those roads.  Additionally, in urban areas, the dust stirred up by studded tires can cause pollution concerns.

The report also showed that there is very little benefit to using studded snow tires in comparison to studless tires, and that the instances where studded tires outperform studless are actually quite rare.

So, when you are making the choice about what kind of tires to use this winter, consider the negative environmental impact of studded tires in addition to the other pros and cons.