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The (flat) tire that fixes itself
An expanded Web version of segments seen on CNN
June 6, 1997
Web posted at: 9:56 a.m. EDT (1356 GMT)
From Correspondent Audrey Galex
(CNN) -- Next to having an accident, the thing drivers fear most is getting a flat tire, according to a survey by Uniroyal. Now, the tire-maker has a solution -- a self-sealing tire that may be able to fix itself after a puncture.
The key is "a sticky, goopy substance" -- a sealant -- placed inside the tire, says Uniroyal's Alison Heiser. The sealant surrounds the nail, creating an airtight barrier, she told CNN.
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Once the nail is removed, the sealant automatically plugs the hole. "It's a permanent fix," Heiser says.
Uniroyal claims the Royal Seal, as it's called, can handle most punctures from nails, bolts or screws up to the size of a pencil eraser.
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The flat-fixing technology has been around for several years, but Heiser, who describes the innovation as a "tire whose time has come," says it took safety-conscious car buyers to get it on the road.
The Royal Seal, already on the market, will be installed on 1998 Ford Windstar minivans as part of an option Ford calls "the family security package."
Heiser calls "the minivan mom" the perfect target for the self-sealing tire.
Expect to pay about $10 per tire extra for the Royal Seal. And look for the goo-filled treads to get a green light from more automakers in the future.
Check out what's coming up
on next week's Tomorrow/Today
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- Big O Tires, Uniroyal
- The Tire Industry Safety Council - a trade association supported by U.S. tire manufacturers to disseminate facts about tire care and safety to consumers.
- Popular Mechanics: Automotive:
- PM: Rubber boots: - a rundown on what's new from the world's tiremakers.
- Ford Motor Company
- Ford World-Class Automobiles: Windstar Wagon - information from the virtual showroom
- Tire Tech 101 - from Dunlop Tire Company
- AUTOPEDIA: Tires BBS - Internet bulletin board for consumers exchanging information about tires
- AAA Home Page
- Consumer Information Center - Cars - from the U.S. General Services Administration
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Public Affairs Information Page
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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