This article reports on some recent advances in tyre technology, including better belt-edge integrity, lower energy absorption, and longer-lasting tyres for small wheels; tyre design now emphasises reliability. longer tread lives are being achieved, and improvements are being made to the multi-ply steel belt under the tread. much better wide single tyres are now on the market, especially the michelin 385/65, the shoulders of which have been supported more strongly by a wider belt that has been flattened by adding an extra ply. low-profile tyres have less rolling resistance, so that they save fuel; this advantage is greater the heavier the vehicle. these easier-rollingtyres have contributed as much as engine technology to the good fuel economy of modern heavy trucks. in their larger sizes, they also have advantages in terms of life, weight, and carrying capacity. bothmichelin and goodyear have reliable tyres ready and waiting, which are suitable for 19.5 in (49.5 cm) diameter wheels on heavy trucks and buses; it will be possible to fit them as soon as brake designershave devised satisfactory brakes that will fit inside these small wheels.
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