CHAPTER 1

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 46.1-296 and 46.1-296.1 of the Code of
Virginia, relating to the use and sale of tires with studs or other
protuberances.

(S 54]

Approved January 26, 1968

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 46.1-296 and 46.1-296.1 of the Code of Virginia be amended
and reenacted as follows:

§ 46.1-296. Cleats, etc., on tires; chains.—No tire on a vehicle moved
on a highway shall have on its periphery any block, stud, flange, cleat or
spike or any other protuberance of any material other than rubber which
projects beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire, except that it
shall be permissible to use farm machinery having protuberances which
will not injure the highway and to use tire chains of reasonable propor-
tions when required for safety because of snow, ice or other conditions
tending to cause a vehicle to slide or skid. Jt shall also be permissible to
use upon any vehicle, whose gross weight does not exceed ten thousand
pounds, tires with studs which project not more than one-sixteenth of an
inch beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire when campressed
and which cover not more than three percent of the traction surface of the
tire. The use of such studded tires shall be permissible until April 15,
1968, from October 15, 1968 to April 15, 1969 and from October 15, 1969
to April 15, 1970.

§ 46.1-296.1. Sale of tires having cleats, etc., prohibited.—No per-
son shall sell to any resident of this State a tire which shall have on its
periphery any block, stud, flange, cleat or spike or any other protuberance
of any material other than rubber which projects beyond the tread of the
traction surface of the tire, except that farm machinery having protuber-
ances which will not injure the highway and tire chains of reasonable
proportions may be sold; provided, however, that it shall be permissible to
sell studded tires whose use is permitted under the provisions of
§ 46.1-296 until April 15, 1970. Violators of this section shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor.

2. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.