Goodyear has taught tyres to detect snow and ice on the road

Tyre manufacturer Goodyear and research company TNO from the Netherlands have unveiled a new technology called SightLine, which enables tyres to detect the type of pavement and share information with the on-board system.

SightLine is a combination of sensors and specialised software. Goodyear and TNO claim that up-to-date information on road surface conditions will improve the effectiveness of driver assistance systems - most notably emergency braking.

As Goodyear explained, existing emergency braking (AEB) systems are typically set up for high-friction surfaces such as dry tarmac. However, if an emergency occurs on icy roads, for example, these settings become less effective. Such a feature increases the risk of a collision.

The AEB therefore needs up-to-date information on the grip coefficient of the tyres so that the electronic assistants can work more effectively in a wide range of road scenarios. Goodyear's wet tarmac tests have shown that SightLine technology mitigates collisions at speeds up to 80 km/h by applying the brakes earlier.

According to Goodyear, car manufacturers are interested in integrating this technology. Especially in the case of cars for the US market, where emergency braking will be mandatory for all new models from 2029.

Source: Goodyear