- Braking distances reduced / safety potential risen by up to 20 percent since 2000
- Premium tyres increase safety, comfort and economy considerably
- New vehicles will only reach their potential with the use of premium tyres
- Continental products ensure maximum safety, as well as ultimate driving pleasure
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, 02 July 2015 – One of Continental’s top priorities is driving safety, and this permeates throughout all its divisions. With excellent braking performance and high mileage performance, it’s no wonder Continental is among the world’s top three tyre manufacturers, with a proven reputation for delivering tyres with best-in-class braking and all-round performance.
Over the past 15 years, tyres have been responsible for significant improvements in active safety. To this end, premium tyre manufacturers in particular, including Continental, have developed more advanced compounds and brought the construction of their tyres into line with state-of-the-art technologies, while optimising their tread patterns.
As a result, braking distances have become much shorter, handling precision has improved immensely, and rolling resistance has been significantly reduced.
Comparing a tyre from 2000 with a current model reveals what remarkable progress has been made over the years. When the wet braking performance of a current tyre and a tyre with the old design were compared, braking distance has been reduced and safety potential has risen almost 20 percent.
Continental conducted this unusual comparison at the Continental TechShow 2015. In the test, a 2015 BMW 1-Series model was fitted with ContiPremiumContact passenger tyres from model year 2000 with the construction and tread typical of that tyre at the time. The test engineers then fitted a model year 2000 car with the latest ContiPremiumContact 5 tires.
When the two cars were tested back-to-back on the wet handling course at the Contidrom in Hanover, Germany, the 15-year-old car with the new tyres showed a marked improvement in performance, as the greatly improved grip enabled braking and steering commands to be executed more safely and precisely. This allowed the car to make up, at least in part, for the absence of electronic stability control.
The performance of the new car fitted with the old tyres dropped away substantially. However, it seems that even the most advanced driver assistance systems are not able to offset the development progress made between the old and new tyre models.
Tyres bear a large share of responsibility for active safety. Only technologically advanced premium products can guarantee short braking distances, a high level of steering precision and strong directional stability, and a reduction in the risk of aquaplaning. For that reason, Continental recommends fitting premium tyres on even older passenger cars, to help offset the absence of the latest safety and assistance systems.
The comparison test also highlighted that even new vehicles equipped with an array of assistance systems will only achieve maximum performance if their tyres can transfer the dynamic forces to the road and translate them effectively into grip.
There are three main aspects which are essential for overall driving performance: the vehicle, the road conditions and, in particular, the tyres. To ensure maximum safety, as well as ultimate driving pleasure, Continental is continuously developing its product range – because the better the tyres, the better the performance of the vehicle.
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