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Above average rains forecast for the summer months are expected to cause problems for motorists on both sides of Australia.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology recently released a long-tem rainfall forecast titled "Increased Summer Rains for South-East Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia".
The forecast predicted a 70 percent chance of above average rainfall for coastal regions stretching from Sydney to Queensland's Sunshine Coast for the December-February period.
Large parts of Western Australia will also experience unseasonably heavy rain according to the forecast, while South Australia and Victoria can expect average summer falls.
"Aquaplaning" during heavy rainfall on Australia's east coast can contribute to road accidents, according to a study conducted by Donald, Heaton and Francis for the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority.
The report said aquaplaning — where a tyre rides up on a film of water and loses contact with the road surface - is usually expected to occur at speeds over 100km/h on water films of 4mm.
However aquaplaning can occur at speeds of 80km/h under unfavourable conditions.
The study said conditions contributing to relatively slow-speed aquaplaning include low tread depth and low tyre pressure.
Another report by the American Society for Testing Materials said that uneven tyre wear also adversely affects tyre performance in wet conditions.
Uniroyal's newly released RainSport 1 tyre is designed to counter the common causes of aquaplaning.
The Uniroyal RainSport l's wear rate is comparable with the best high- performance European brands.
RainSport l's braking and handling in wet conditions have been shown to be the best among European brands by a margin of seven percent.
The tyre uses a full silica compound to maximise grip on wet roads, improving braking and anti-aquaplaning characteristics.
The innovative flat profile of the tyre enhances transmission of forces to reduce longitudinal and lateral aquaplaning, a key cause of accidents in wet conditions.
Its unique double-V tread pattern in the centre of the tyre disperses water at up to 45 litres per second at 80km/h.
"The Uniroyal RainSport 1 is a high performance tyre with impressive wet weather grip and consistent wear characteristics," said Tyremaster national marketing manager, David Basha.
"That makes it a good choice for Australian conditions, particularly with a wetter than normal rain season forecast for New South Wales, Queensland and WA."
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