End of the road for flat tyres

Here’s some rubber that will help you avoid any sticky situations! It
is ContiSeal, the new self-healing tyre from Continental.

The technology is a first for passenger cars, and features a tacky, viscous coating inside the tread which instantly and permanently repairs punctures as soon as a nail or other debris pierces the rubber. It also automatically fills holes of up to five millimetres in diameter when the object is removed.

Continental says the advantage over the stiffened sidewall technology of run-flat rubber is that Conti-Seal can be fitted to standard wheel rims and does not require a low-pressure warning system. However, some concerns have been voiced in the tyre industry that this system could lead to motorists running on weakened or potentially dangerous rubber, as there are no warnings of a loss of pressure. ContiSeal is set to go on sale this summer.