Baldness is Beautiful -- Until It Rains, Goodyear Says

    AKRON, Ohio, March 29 Baldness may be beautiful, except
when spring rains let loose.  Don't reach for a hat, however; a thorough
inspection of your tires may be a safer choice.

    That's because motorists are facing a wet spring forecast, and it seems a
slowing economy is delaying new tire purchases, according to officials from
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

    Worn tires and a National Weather Service forecast calling for significant
rainfall -- and perhaps flooding -- are a recipe for disaster, Mark Cherveny,
product manager for Goodyear auto tires, said.

    Cherveny recommends that drivers inspect their tires for adequate tread
depth to ensure that they can handle the puddles and slick pavement that
springtime brings.  In addition, federal and state laws prohibit bald tires,
where the tread has worn to 2/32nds of an inch and exposed wear bar indicators
are revealed in the tread.

    An easy way to check tread depth is to use the penny test.  Turn the penny
upside down with Lincoln's head entering the tread groove.  If you can see the
top of his head, it's time to replace the tire.

    To assist in battling spring rains, Goodyear recently revamped its wet-
traction aquachannel tires, resulting in Aquatred 3 to handle changing climate
data, which reveals America is getting more of its rainfall in heavy downpours
now than early in the last century, according to a 1998 weather study.

    Increased puddling on the roadway can make vehicles susceptible to loss of
traction, Cherveny said.  A heavy downpour or thunderstorm dumps rain at the
rate of 2 to 4 inches per hour, building a film of water up to 0.08 inch deep
on the road.

    Poor drainage leads to additional accumulation, a prime concern for road
engineers, Cherveny said.

    The National Weather Service said flooding is possible in the South,
western Great Lakes and the Northeast due to a wet and snowy winter and the
potential for a wet spring.  The Midwest is expected to have a normal spring,
although snow melt in Minnesota and the Dakotas could cause flooding.

    Drought conditions, meanwhile, are expected to continue in the Southeast,
particularly Florida.  Above-normal precipitation is forecast for parts of the
Northwest, but not enough to offset the impact of low rain levels and a thin
snow pack, the Weather Service said.

    The heavy rainfall amounts predicted for the rest of the country make
spring driving conditions especially hazardous, Cherveny said.  A tire tread
acts as a squeegee, forcing water from the road into the tread grooves.

    If the amount of water a tire must displace through tread grooves is
greater than the capacity of the tire, excess water builds up in front of the
moving tire.  As water pressure mounts, the fluid acts as a wedge and
literally lifts the tire off the road, similar to the bow of a speedboat
lifting off the water.

    Aquatred 3's dual aquachannels and directional lateral grooves facilitate
the flow of water from the front to the rear of the tire, he said.

    "Loss of traction on wet pavement is a potential driving dilemma year-
round, but it doesn't have to be," Cherveny said.  "When it rains, slow down,
drive cautiously, steer and brake with a light touch and make sure you have
adequate tread depth remaining on your tires."

    A car's speed plays a major role in wet-traction performance; loss of
traction can occur at speeds as low as 45 mph or less on curves.  A smooth
road, low vehicle weight and low tire inflation pressures also contribute to
loss of traction, he said.

    Aquatred 3 earns a "AA" wet-traction rating under U.S. Uniform Tire
Quality Grading Labels, the highest according to federal standards.  Aquatred
3 provides 8 percent better wet braking distance than Aquatred II.  At 45 mph,
that's nearly 13 feet shorter.

    And when the sun comes out, Aquatred 3 continues to shine, Cherveny said.
A 10 percent wider footprint than Aquatred II delivers 6 percent improved dry
traction and an 80,000-mile treadlife limited warranty.