Wet braking of worn tires: real-world assessment of regulatory requirements
The new regulatory requirements on wet grip of worn tires aim to ensure that tire performance is assessed at their end of life, i.e. when worn, ensuring tires meet requirements throughout their life and are not replaced prematurely. Wet braking, a critical performance affecting road safety, dramatically deteriorates in worn tires. For practical reasons, the current regulation sets criteria on buffed tires (new tires with artificially reduced tread depth); however, naturally worn tires may perform differently due to several other factors. This joint study between JRC and UNINA investigates performance discrepancies.