Goodyear R&D Chief Outlines Future of Tire Safety

    TROY, Mich., Feb. 5 The foundation for future tire safety
lies in new run-flat tire concepts with onboard low-pressure warning systems,
more stringent global tire standards and testing and a national tire safety
consumer education campaign, according to Goodyear's top R&D executive.

    Joseph Gingo, senior vice president of technology and global products
planning, said the tire industry has several new innovations that will improve
the safety and performance of tires to an unprecedented level, joining the
many safety features already built into today's vehicles.

    Speaking at the Society of Plastics Engineers' Global Automotive Safety
Conference here today, Gingo urged both tire and automotive engineers to
insist that design specifications meet the changing demands of vehicles and
their environment and that this technology becomes added security that drivers
are willing to pay for.

    "We see the next step in safety as tires with run-flat capability and
vehicles with onboard information and warning systems," Gingo said.

    Referencing the intense focus on tires over the past several months, Gingo
noted that in 1999, federal highway statistics show that U.S. motorists
traveled 2.4 trillion miles on 822 million tires.  That year, a total of only
645 accidents were categorized as being tire related by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  "Data showed that the leading cause of
tire failure in these accidents was underinflation, followed by overloading,"
he said.

    "While every accident is disturbing and must be taken seriously, the
numbers show an exceptional safety record for the tire industry," Gingo added.
    
    "Tires are the workhorse for a mobile society.  A typical passenger tire
makes more than 720 revolutions per mile and its footprint is the only
connection between a vehicle, its cargo and the ground.  Tires are a precise,
dynamic, highly engineered product incorporating more than 200 ingredients ?-
no one part of a car is more technologically advanced.

    "Over the years, the environment in which tires perform has become more
challenging.  External changes, such as increased highway speeds and vehicle
size and weight all need to be adjusted for in the products we make.  Heavier
vehicles plus high speeds equal hotter tires.  Heat is the enemy of tires,"
Gingo said.

    Gingo told SPE members that no one takes safety more seriously than
Goodyear does.  "Tire design is evolutionary, and in Goodyear's case,
continuous technological improvement is a fundamental principle of knowledge
and leadership.

    "Goodyear welcomes the new mandate by NHTSA to establish new standards and
testing and labeling regulations for tires that meet 21st Century needs, as
well as a standard for low-pressure tire monitoring technology to be
incorporated in future vehicles."

    Globally, Goodyear exceeds standards in its tests as it logs more than 100
million vehicular and lab test wheel miles a year to ensure the safest, most
durable tires for driver security.

    "We evaluate any unusual patterns for potential problems and have not and
will not hesitate to recall any tire that proves defective," Gingo said.

    Expressing hope that 2001 could be a pivotal year in the importance of
tire care, Gingo urged a comprehensive nonpartisan approach to tire safety
consumer education involving the tire and auto industries, government, safety
advocates and the media..."Because no matter how rigorous the testing
procedures or how premium the quality, a tire needs care and maintenance.
Despite all of the advances and the latest technology, all tires can fail if
they are run underinflated, overloaded, damaged by road hazards and debris, or
sustain a severe impact," he said.