Goodyear: Suburbanites ALL WET

AKRON, Ohio, July 15 Suburbanites living downwind from Atlanta, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago and other large cities should go outside today and look at the tires on their family vehicle.

If recent NASA research is correct, Goodyear marketers say residents in the 'burbs may want to consider Aquatred 3 all-seasons or other wet-weather tires.

According to the researchers, it rains more -- sometimes a lot more -- for several miles downwind from large cities. The scientists, using satellite measurements, have confirmed reports based on rain gauges that indicate these city-related wet spots exist.

It's proof enough to double-check those treads, Bob Toth, Goodyear marketing manager for auto tires, said. The NASA study found that rainfall downwind from studied cities averaged 28 percent more than an area upwind. Some areas showed increases of as much as 51 percent.

Toth said increased rainfall amounts in the suburbs should give motorists reason to pause. As a tire rolls through water, the tread pattern displaces the water, channeling it away from the "contact patch." The grooves absorb the water so that the rubber remains in contact with the road. On a worn tire, the amount of water that can be displaced through tread grooves is reduced.

Goodyear revamped its Aquatred tires to handle changing climate data, which revealed America is getting more of its rainfall in heavy downpours than early in the last century.

Increased puddling on the roadway can make vehicles susceptible to loss of traction, Toth said. Aquatred 3's dual aquachannels and directional lateral grooves facilitate the flow of water from the front to the rear of the tire.

Cities tend to be 1 to 10 degrees (F) warmer than the suburbs, and that's what makes for the extra rain, NASA researchers say. They found that the average monthly rainfall rates were increased 18 to 36 miles downwind of the cities they studied.

So far, they've researched satellite data for Atlanta; Dallas; San Antonio, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; St. Louis; and Chicago. They're now looking at Houston; Phoenix; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Brasilia, Brazil.

To further combat these increased rainfall amounts, Goodyear recently introduced Fortera HL tires for crossover and luxury SUVs. The highway tire features hybrid Aquatred tread compounds for excellent wet and dry traction, handling and braking.

"Skidding on wet pavement is a potential driving dilemma year-round," Toth said. "When it rains, slow down, steer and brake with a light touch and make sure you have good treads on your tires."

A car's speed plays a major role in its wet-traction performance; skidding can occur at speeds as low as 45 mph or less on curves, he concluded.