We tend to think of tires as big circular hunks of black rubber that just roll down the road. We don’t think about them much until something goes wrong and you’re stuck waiting for roadside assistance or digging the spare out of the trunk.

If tires could talk, they might demand more respect.

Maybe you’d stop letting them get under-inflated and worn out. Or they could warn you about a nail in the tread that, in a couple days, will make the tire pressure warning light come on. They might even help you drive better, stop sooner and get better gas mileage.

Smart tire technology like this is already in use, with tire companies adding special sensors to certain tires. And, eventually, these technologies will become widespread, said TJ Campbell, tire information and testing manager at the online retailer Tire Rack, because the information tires can provide is so critical.
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