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Goodyear Says to Get a Grip, Winter Arrives Thursday

20 December 2000

									


           Winter Arrives Thursday

     AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 20 - After a month of sliding on ice- and

snow-covered roads, motorists might find little comfort that winter begins

Thursday with prospects for continued cold weather.

     Goodyear officials say motorists shouldn't endure further loss of

traction on hazardous roads and highways.  It's not too late to consider

winter tires for the family car or sport-utility.

     Last weekend, more than 100 minor accidents were reported in St. Paul

and Minneapolis, as the two cities declared snow emergencies from heavy

snowfall and fierce winds.  Wind chills were recorded at nearly 60 degrees

below zero in northwestern Minnesota.

     Wyoming authorities closed a number of highways Friday night,

including stretches of Interstates 25 and 80.  In Iowa, officials urged

motorists to stay home.  A fatal wreck east of Des Moines closed I-80

Saturday, the State Patrols said, and poor visibility and a 40-vehicle

pileup closed an 80-mile stretch of I-35 in northern Iowa.

     Meanwhile in New England, strong thunderstorms swept across the

region, knocking out power to thousands of homes.  Rotten weather snarled

highway traffic and closed schools.

     Mark Cherveny, product manager for Goodyear auto tires, said the

forecast is for an accelerated demand in winter tires.  "It's never too

late to prepare yourself for the continuing onslaught of winter weather.

After all, tomorrow is the winter solstice, the first day of winter."

     Early order winter tire shipments are up 4 percent this year, and the

company plans to grow Goodyear's winter tire market share by 25 percent and

double it in the next three years. Cherveny said winter tire growth is

expected to continue, especially considering a return to "normal" winter

conditions in the Plains states, the Midwest and Northeast  after two

winters of above-normal temperatures.  National Weather Service officials

said cold air outbreaks will lead to more days below zero and heavier

lake-effect snows.

     Even Florida, which will be warmer than normal, could see cold air

outbreaks or "Florida Freezes."

     "Tires play the single largest role in determining how your vehicle

will handle in an emergency situation.  People are demanding additional

traction and security now that the weather has made a turn for the worst,"

Cherveny said.

     "People are realizing that it doesn't matter how many electronic

systems you have on your vehicle, such as traction control and anti-lock

braking.  The brakes might stop your wheels, but the tires stop your

vehicle," he added.

     The wacky weather  with blinding snow in the Midwest and thunderstorms

in the Northeast  is no match for Goodyear's Ultra Grip line of winter

tires, which can handle a variety of winter conditions and low

temperatures, including snow, ice, dry pavement and wet and slushy

conditions.

     Goodyear's Ultra Grip winter tire lines feature directional tread

patterns and state-of-the-art tread compounds.  These tread patterns,

combined with special winter tread compounds, can handle a wide variety of

conditions normally found during the winter season, he said.

     Besides the obvious slipping and sliding in the family car, winter

presents several challenges to motorists, namely in tire care.  Cold

weather naturally lowers the inflation pressure in tires.  For example, a

tire normally inflated at 32 pounds per square inch in 70-degree F weather

will drop to 26 psi at freezing.

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