---

Goodyear Aims to Eliminate Flat Tires

2 October 1998

Goodyear Aims to Eliminate Flat Tires

    AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 1 -_ Flat tires are getting the most blame
for stranding drivers and their families along the road when they experience a
vehicle breakdown, according to the latest survey from the AAA.
    Marketers from The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, however, say there's
only one flat-proof solution:  eliminate the flat tire forever. Treat the
cause rather than the symptom, according to Bob Toth, marketing manager for
high-performance tires, with the new run-flat tire.
    At least 28 percent of 1,500 motorists surveyed by AAA said they had at
least one problem in the last year that disabled their vehicle. The leading
cause, 28 percent said, was the dreaded flat tire. Nine percent said they had
a flat in the past month.
    The former leading call to the AAA, a jump-start due to a faulty battery,
came in second, reported by 22 percent. About 13 percent revealed they
required a tow.
    The roadside can be a dangerous place to stop for a flat, Toth said.  The
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety said that a three-year study of interstate
accidents revealed that 18 percent of the deaths involved someone working on
their vehicle along the road.
    A run-flat tire, such as the Goodyear Eagle Aquasteel EMT, is capable of
operating effectively without air for up to 50 miles at 55 mph.  "The run-flat
allows families to do what the cellular telephone, sealant tire, spare tire
and fix-a-flats can't deliver -_ the promise of safety and convenience by
never experiencing a disabling flat, to stay out of harm's way," Toth said.
    Even equipped with a cellular phone, motorists must contend with an
average 45-minute tow-truck response time in the suburbs, according to the
Allstate Motor Club.  A Goodyear survey showed that more than 95 percent of
all motorists believe changing tires on the roadside is dangerous.  Yet in
about 40 percent of the cases, someone got out of the car to change a tire.
The sealant tire, Toth said, is even riskier.  "It's a stop-gap measure to
seal leaky tires. The concept is only 75 percent effective today at stopping
leaks in auto tires."
    A sealant tire only seals punctures in the tread area that are no larger
than one-quarter-inch in diameter.  A nail in the sidewall will leave
motorists stranded. If the sealant is effective, it masks impending tire
failure that could leave motorists stranded at the most inopportune time _-
when the nail or screw works loose and drops out of the tire, Toth said.
    The sealant tire requires constant inspection to make sure a nail hasn't
punctured the tread.  Without repair, there eventually will be rapid air loss,
he added.
    Goodyear run-flat tires require low-pressure warning systems to alert the
driver when there is a loss of inflation.  The company is upping capacity to
build run-flat tires for a variety of applications.
    According to a survey of tire dealers, the top service problem is tire
repair.  On average, tire dealers fix 44 flats per week. The Society of
Automotive Engineers reports that 87 percent of all flat tires have a history
of underinflation.
    The AAA survey reported that 67 percent of the motorists failed to rotate
their tires last year.  About 38 percent didn't know their vehicle's correct
tire pressure.
    Goodyear recommends that tires be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles.
Tires should be inflated to the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation printed
on a vehicle's door placard or in the owner's manual, not the maximum limit
stamped on a tire sidewall.