Goodyear’s Smart Tires Enhance Safety with Rain and Ice Detection for Better Emergency Braking

Tristan Collins
GoodyearSightLine TNO AEB 2025 5 scaled
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In the face of new regulations, automakers are feeling the pressure as they race against a 2029 deadline to equip all new cars sold in the US with advanced automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems.

With concerns about the readiness of current technologies, especially under challenging weather conditions, Goodyear has introduced a promising solution at CES in Las Vegas.

Teaming up with the Netherlands-based research group TNO, Goodyear’s latest innovation is a smart tire that could be a game changer for road safety.

Dubbed SightLine, these smart tires are not your ordinary wheels. They come loaded with sensors capable of detecting slippery surfaces like wet, icy, or snowy roads, enhancing the functionality of a vehicle’s AEB system.

This integration allows the AEB to engage sooner when a potential collision is detected, enabling a vehicle to stop safely even on low-friction surfaces.

The technology promises to adjust the braking system to work effectively at speeds up to 50mph.

Werner Happenhofer, Goodyear’s vice president of tire intelligence and e-mobility solutions, explained the significance of the technology.

‘The AEB can be assertive way earlier,’ he said. The system recognizes the reduced friction and responds quicker to prevent a crash.

This proactive approach is a part of Goodyear’s broader strategy to enhance vehicle safety through innovative tire technology.

SightLine was initially introduced in 2021 and includes capabilities beyond just sensing road conditions.

These tires can also monitor their air pressure and detect when the tread is wearing thin, ensuring they are always in top condition.

Goodyear plans to offer this technology to car manufacturers as an additional feature to bolster the effectiveness of AEB systems.

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Goodyear and TNO have shown that the integration of tire intelligence technology into the AEB system of a vehicle has demonstrated the potential to mitigate crashes, particularly in challenging road conditions.
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Integrating Goodyear SightLine, the company’s suite of tire intelligence solutions, can help the AEB system function effectively across a wider range of driving environments, including low-friction surfaces such as wet roads or ice.
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Through the contact patch with the road, tire intelligence can provide the AEB with deeper insights into actual tire and road conditions to enable smarter, more precise decision-making.
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Recent wet road testing indicates that an enhanced AEB system incorporating Goodyear SightLine technology has the potential to assist in mitigating impacts at speeds of up to 80 kph (50 mph) by engaging braking earlier.
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As major OEMs and tier-1 suppliers prepare for NHTSA’s 2029 AEB mandate, the SightLine integration can offer a competitive edge in the race to build safer, smarter vehicles.
Images by Goodyear

As the automotive industry grapples with implementing more advanced safety features, Goodyear’s timely innovation could be the answer to meeting stringent safety standards.

The technology is poised to play a crucial role in future vehicles, helping automakers meet the upcoming regulatory demands.

Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s VP for global innovation and chief technology officer, is optimistic about the technology’s potential impact.

‘The technology is available, and it’s just an extension of some of the other work we’ve been doing for a few years now,’ he stated, hoping that automakers will see the value in integrating these advanced tires into their safety protocols.

While the market availability of SightLine-equipped tires is yet to be announced, today’s demonstration by Goodyear highlights the potential benefits of such technology in enhancing vehicle safety and compliance with new regulations.

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Tristan has a strong interest in the intersection of artificial intelligence and creative expression. He has a background in computer science, and he enjoys exploring the ways in which AI can enhance and augment human creativity. In his writing, he often delves into the ways in which AI is being used to generate original works of fiction and poetry, as well as to analyze and understand patterns in existing texts.