The general public is forced to spend a lot of money, through taxes or other requirements, on the basis that it saves lives, so I wouldn't think that road maintenance would be too much to ask if, as they like to say, under other circumstances, it saves even one life. I don't know about other states, but Maine collects far more in gasoline taxes than it spends on road maintenance. For the past ten years, Maine has been cutting the roads back, all over the state, so that there is a wide distance between the tree line and the road, in order to reduce collisions with moose or deer. This is a huge expense, in money as well as in the degradation of the appearance of the state, and people are still hitting moose and deer every year. As I see it, studded tires are a more practical way of staying safe on icy roads.
We use studded tires every winter. Wouldn't be with out them. If the Sheriff declares a snow emergency, the town and county pull their plows.Nor do they plow if school is closed or on the weekend. My county is long and narrow. North South county roads drift horribly with the prevailing west wind. Every time we by a new car,we dig deep for a set of plain steel rims. We have the winter tires mounted and then it is easy to swap them back and forth. Get around 4 seasons out a set of studs. We have either had four wheel drive or all wheel drive for some years now. I don't put studs on the truck because I run big ole meaty Cooper AT3's. NY is legal Nov 1 thru May1 Troopers have an ear for those studs, it is best to follow the dates.