Goodyear Strategies for Stormy Days are 'Gripping'

    AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 2 Winds of change are driving Goodyear
to engineer more wet-weather tread compounds and designs.
    Increased hurricane activity threatening millions of people living along
America's East and Gulf coasts and flooding in the country's interior have
prompted the world's largest tiremaker to search for travel solutions.
    The company's Aquatred 3 passenger-car and Eagle F1 GS ultra-performance
tires are the latest to be developed for greater rainfall levels.  Goodyear
engineers now are focusing on a burgeoning sport-utility market as well.
    A sharp increase in hurricane activity in the Atlantic and Caribbean since
1995 is part of a trend that could last another 40 years, according to
forecasts at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    Rising surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and a change in wind
patterns have made conditions favorable for hurricane formation.  Bill Egan,
Goodyear chief engineer of advanced tire technology, said the time is ripe for
tire engineering to combat wet roadways.
    "Greater levels of grip on rain-slick roads can be engineered on the
computer for real-world conditions.  Improving a tire's wet-traction
capabilities is vital in these times of changing weather patterns," Egan said.
    Because hurricane development is associated with warmer temperatures,
these tires also must resist heat buildup.  For example, Aquatred 3 possesses
the highest government grading labels ratings for wet traction -- AA -- and
temperature resistance, A.
    "Tread compounds for these future tires must almost be Aquatred-like,"
Egan added.  "They must perform well in all conditions, whether it is raining
or heat is rising from the asphalt on a sunny, summer day."
    Egan said even with improved wet-weather tires, motorists should slow down
when roads get wet.  Speed, worn tires, a smooth road surface and low vehicle
weight may contribute to loss of traction.
    NOAA researchers said 1995 to 2000 were among the most active years in
history for hurricanes, following a quiet period that began in the 1960s.
NOAA cautioned coastal residents to prepare for decades of increased activity.
    The National Weather Service has forecast 11 tropical storms, of which
seven will be hurricanes this year.  Disaster experts worry that residents
have been lulled into a false sense of security by recent quiet years.
    In addition, last year, the NOAA said most of North America's rainfall is
concentrated in heavy downpours between September and November.
    While precipitation has risen about 1 percent worldwide in the last
century, rainfall in North America has increased significantly.  In the United
States, rainfall amounts increased by 5 percent; along the northern tier
states and in southern Canada, precipitation figures skyrocketed by 10 to
15 percent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.