Quote:
Just so we have the most accurate picture:
Studded tires do indeed have decreased dry traction, less of a decrease in wet, non-hydroplaning traction(but a decrease nevertheless), no change for hydroplaning, a tiny improvment for pure snow traction, but a tremedous improvment in pure ice traction.
All this was documented decades ago when studs were first introduced. I doubt if I can find the source documents, but the easy way to remember how this works (.....well, it's easy for me, anyway!) is that the studs partially support the tire and do not allow the rubber to penetrate into the pavement as far (and, of course with less force). So any property that depends on the rubber penetrating into the macrotexture of the pavement is going to be adversely affected - and that's dry traction, and non-hydroplaning wet traction.
But since most folks don't use most of the capablility of a tire's traction - especially dry - most of the time the decrease in traction is undetected. The only time it would be detected would be in an emergency situation - and at the end of the situation the vehicle operator would be wondering if better traction would have avoided the situation or not - and of course, it would be almost impossible to tell.
Just for the record, I am not saying don't use studs. But I am saying, be aware there is a compromise that is made when studs are installed, and dry and wet traction are among the performance parameters compromised.