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Goodyear Run-Flats 'Puncture' Roadside Dangers

11 December 1997

Goodyear Run-Flats 'Puncture' Roadside Dangers

    AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 11 -- More than 60 percent of American
women say they hate changing tires.  Not surprisingly, the other 40 percent
flatly dislike the thought.
    According to market researchers for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company,
that and other findings indicate a need for extended mobility technology
-- or run-flat tires -- on the family car.
    More than 95 percent of all motorists believe changing tires on the
roadside is dangerous, and it's not just women who think so.  More than
68 percent of men "definitely agree" that being stranded along the highway is
hazardous.
    Marco Molinari, vice president for sales and marketing for North America
Tire, said the research was so compelling that Goodyear now is spreading
extended mobility technology to more vehicle owners, thus eliminating
the threat of disabling flat tires along the nation's highways.
    "We don't question the need for extended mobility.  It's there.  Flat
tires aren't going away so we need to eliminate the inconvenience and dangers
associated with them," Molinari said.
    In early 1998, the company plans to introduce EMT in a wide range of
sizes, ultimately covering 75 percent of the passenger sedans and minivans on
the road today.
    Goodyear market research indicates approximately 80 percent of all
households have experienced a flat tire -- and about one-half of those
were within the past year.   More than 50 percent  were left stranded on the
roadside.
    The American Automobile Association received almost 3.3 million road-
service calls for tire problems last year.  The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration estimates that about 250,000 accidents a year result
from improperly inflated tires.
    Another major concern among drivers in the survey was having a flat
tire at highway speeds.  Goodyear's  EMT tires, capable of operation at
55 mph up to 50 miles, are effective on standard wheels, allowing motorists to
keep current and replacement costs affordable, Molinari said.
    "EMTs are perceived as adding an extra measure of safety, and to be a
good option for female and older drivers.  Despite differences in attitudes
vs. men, women's concept ratings for purchase intent and willingness to pay
more were very similar to men's," Molinari said.
    Reasonable price premiums for EMTs ranged from $20 for family-car tires to
$40 for high-performance tires, according to the market research.
    J.D. Power and Associates, a marketing information firm, said consumers
would be willing to pay about $84 more for a set of run-flat tires.  New
Goodyear EMT tires will be priced 10 to 20 percent more than a standard radial
tire, Molinari said.
    In 1992, Goodyear pioneered EMT as a tire option on the 1994 Chevrolet
Corvette.  Today, EMT tires are standard equipment on the Corvette and
Plymouth Prowler, and both are delivered without spare tires and jacks.
    The Corvette and Prowler use low-pressure sensor systems to alert drivers
when EMT tires are losing air, because Goodyear's EMT performs so well at zero
inflation pressure.  The company is working with sensor-system suppliers to
market a compatible, affordable system for replacement market EMTs.

SOURCE  Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company