(a) There shall not be operated or moved upon any public road, street, or highway within the State, any vehicle, motor vehicle, or other power vehicle the face of the wheels of which are fitted or equipped with flanges, ribs, clamps, cleats, lugs, chains, spikes or other projections, other than rubber blocks, destructive to the road surfaces. This provision applies to all rings or flanges upon guiding or steering wheels of such vehicles but shall not be construed to prevent the use of:
(1) Ordinary detachable tire or skid chains; or
(2) Studded snow tires on either the Mauna Kea access road above Hale Pohaku or on any other road within the Mauna Kea Science Reserve leased to the University of Hawaii.
(b) This section shall not apply to traction engines, tractors, or other vehicles of the tracklaying type when the portions of the movable tracks in contact with the roadway surface present plane surfaces of sufficient area to prevent damage thereto.
