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Goodyear Says to Get a Grip, Winter Arrives Thursday

20 December 2000

Goodyear Says to Get a Grip, 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.