This article discusses some of the benefits of using open-texture road surfaces. These advantages include: (1) lower rolling resistance, leading to a 5% saving in fuel consumption in wet weather and up to a 10% saving in wet weather; (2) improvement of tyre grip by between 7% and 140%, which is especially great in wet weather; (3) massive suppression of spray from wheels in wet weather; (4) considerable reduction of road accidents; (5) reduction of noise from tyres, for example 6 decibels below that on asphalt and 16 decibels below that on concrete. The resulting cost savings are several times the amount of the extra cost of applying open-texture surfaces, and the environmental improvements are also significant. In Austria, there are now more than 300km of open-texture roads, and their use there and in The Netherlands is national policy. Other measures can also reducetyre noise; for example, tyre design can reduce it by up to 4 decibels. Some developments in tyres help to make them quieter, but others, like deeper treads, tend to make them noisier. Some research by Michelin suggests that improved wheelarch design might reduce noise by up to 7 decibels. To achieve appreciable further improvements, it seems best to use porous road surfaces and to some extent vehicle design.
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