SALEM – They haven’t even rolled into stores yet, but state lawmakers have given the official green light to futuristic tires with retractable studs hidden inside the rubber.

With the final approval this week by the state Senate, Oregon joins Washington, Idaho and Montana, which also revised traffic laws this year to recognize the technological gizmos.

Under House Bill 2567, retractable studs would count as traction devices and would be allowed on state roadways between November 1 and April 1 – the same time frame that the state allows regular studded tires. During the rest of the year, those tires would be legal as long as the studs aren’t extended.

Studded tires have long been a source of disagreement among state lawmakers because, while the metal cleats make driving safer on icy roadways, they also scour the pavement. The state spends more than $10 million annually to repair stud-caused ruts, according to Oregon Department of Transportation figures.

”They can be used as traction tires when needed and won’t cause damage when they’re not,” said Sen. Rick Metsger, D-Welches, the chairman of the Senate Business, Transportation and Workforce Development Committee.

”If the technology succeeds, we get the best of both worlds,” he said.

He said he would like to eventually see studded tires disappear from roads – but that idea has gone nowhere politically. Previous bills that would have added fees to studded tires stalled because they were criticized as a tax on safety for residents on Oregon’s colder east side.

Much of the state’s stud damage is in the heavily traveled Interstate 5 corridor in the Willamette Valley, where freezing conditions are rare.

State Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay, said in a floor speech that the tires are a welcome innovation that will keep people safe, and prevent road wear that comes when people use studs on bare pavement.

State Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay, said in a floor speech that the tires are a welcome innovation that will keep people safe and prevent road wear that comes when people use studs on bare pavement.

”This company will be remembered for saving money on Oregon highways,” she said.

The tires, under development by South Carolina-based Q Tires, would be activated by a button on the dashboard.

The tires have a second air chamber near the rubber surface that, when filled via remote control, pushes the studs out beyond the treads, said Cindy Robert, the company’s lobbyist. The tires could be on the market by this fall.

The tires will cost more than normal versions – but will be less expensive than buying two sets of tires, she said.

In Central Oregon, many motorists rotate between studded models in winter and normal ones in warmer months.