Demand for Wet Tyres Grows

After a long summer soaking and autumn that is showing little sign of being different, demand for wet weather tyres is “soaring,” according to automotive retail chain, Hi-Q. Since August there have been more than 20 severe weather incidents and dozens of flood warnings. With yet more rain clouds on the horizon the Goodyear equity says it is having trouble keeping up with demand for the its main wet weather tyre, the HydraGrip.

Mike Garwood, Hi-Q’s operations manager, said the continual rain meant that many drivers were having specialist wet weather tyres fitted, and the national chain was working hard to keep up with demand across most of its 500 stores, particularly for HydraGrip. He added: “Surveys have found that wet weather performance, particularly braking, is a top concern among drivers. Rain is a major factor in accidents – stopping distances on wet roads can be more than double those on dry surfaces. We introduced Goodyear’s HydraGrip earlier this year, and it’s become a top seller as word gets around.” According to Mr Garwood, the reason for the tyre’s popularity is the fact it cuts stopping distance by up to ten per cent, “that’s two car lengths compared with similar tyre brands,” he says.