BEND, OR -- Despite recent snowfall around the state, drivers need to switch out their studded snow tires before this weekend. ODOT's Kacey Davey says Friday is the last day you can legally drive with studs, "That is the end of studded tires season, so it is time for the studded tires to come off. The sure sign that spring is hopefully coming."

Davey tells KBND News if you’re caught driving with studded tires after March 31, the ticket is nearly $200 dollars, "You can be cited by law enforcement; it’s a Class C traffic violation if you have them on longer than the season allows. And in the past, there have been instances where the studded tire season was extended, but we’re not seeing that happening this year."

She says it’s also a good time to consider all-weather or studless snow tires, "There’s a really narrow window of conditions that studded tires really work on. So, if you are on clear ice, right around the freezing point, your studded tires are going to out-perform other tires out there. But in pretty much all other cases, your studless snow tires are going to really out-perform the studded tires." Oregon Department of Transportation Studies show studded tires cause an estimated $8.5 million in damage every year to roads.