Studded tires affect air quality and the wear and tear of road surfaces, said Tarmo Sulg, deputy head of the department of the Tallinn Urban Environment and Public Works Department.

"Studies have shown that street dust is linked to the development of various health issues and, unfortunately, a reduction in expected life span. A study conducted in Helsinki found that 75 percent of the capital area's street dust is caused by studded tires," he said.

"In Tallinn, approximately 5,500 cubic meters of road material loosened and kicked up by studded tires are collected each spring, which is more than 330 truckloads of material harmful to health," Sulg explained.

A study conducted by University of Tartu and the Estonian Environmental Research Center researchers has shown air pollution caused an average of 1,179 premature deaths in Estonia in 2020.

This resulted in 14,179 lost life years and a monetary equivalent of the health impact estimated at €666 million.

According to a study on the impact of studded tires by the Tallinn University of Technology, reducing the usage period of studded tires in Tallinn by 1.5 months would save €1.2 million on road repair work, annually 

It is mandatory for vehicles in Estonia to be fitted with winter tires from December to March.

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