Studs will wear over time. Carbide studs are best -- made by Nokian. Unlike in the rest of Canada I live in area with similar conditions -- snow is often fleeting. But occasionally we'll get a stretch of freezing conditions after a snowfall that call for studs.

Worse, this area (West Coast) is prone to black ice. A fall 2 new years' ago left me with a 2 inch opening in my chin -- a good argument for studs on "bare" asphalt.