Last month, over one foot of snow covered large areas of Washington. On Wednesday, the State Senate approved a bill allowing a new form of traction device to be used on vehicle tires. They're called tire socks, an alternative tire traction device that had its origins in Scandinavia but have now found their way into 35 countries. The socks slide over the surface of the tires and grip the roadway, allowing a safer drive on slippery roads. Senator Tracy Eide sponsored the bill which would add the socks to the list of traction devices allowed on Washington's roadways and says they have several advantages over studded tires and chains.

Sen. Eide: “There’s less noise, they have less vibration and best of all they are quick and easy to use and like I say, they’re easy enough for me to put these socks over my tires and be able to drive in the snow with no problem.”

Another positive point: the socks would do less harm to roadways than studs and chains, which tear up asphalt over time, causing millions of dollars in damage.