The studded tire - a fair bargain : A cost-benefit assessment. Masters thesis in environmental economics, Department of Economics, SLU, Uppsala

• Although studded tires are used to benefit individuals and society bydecreasing the risk of road transport accidents, they indirectly causenegative effects from wearing the pavement. Not only does this implyincreased maintenance costs for the road-holders and cleaning costs for manyothers, but particles from the wear are also believed to cause and aggravatediseases in the human respiratory system. It is further suspected that theymay cause environmental harm. This essay is an attempt to disentangle thematter through a cost-benefit assessment including the 13 southernmostSwedish counties. For those effects that there is sufficient knowledge,monetary values have been estimated, while others are merely discussed.A literature survey, accident and population statistics, and a modeldescribing the differences in accident risk between tires have been used asbases for the analysis. SIKA'’s recommended monetary values have been appliedfor road accidents, as well as for health and soiling costs from emission ofparticulate matter.It seems today unrealistic to assert for certain whether the net effect ofstudded tire use is positive or negative seems. This is principally due to alack of exposure-response links and uncertainties concerning frictionimprovement, as well as size distribution and toxicity of pavement wearparticulate matter. With reference to the results at hand, it is neverthelessclaimed that most likely, a high level of studded tire use in the southernpart of Sweden does not entail any significant net benefits. Depending onwhich assumptions are correct it may, however, involve a rather substantialnet cost.

Nyckelord

English

Sweden

Studded tyre

Cost benefit analysis

Maintenance

Wear

Social cost

Dust

Pollutant

Health

Road safety

Road: Components of the vehicle

Road: Components of the vehicle

Road: Economics

Road: Economics

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