Connected Tyres: Smart Sensors & Real-Time Data

The tyre industry is becoming increasingly sophisticated - as evidenced not only by the increase in driving distances and durability but also the way tyres can seamlessly balance performance with safety and stability.

Most drivers know that the specific tyre brand and model they choose has an impact on performance and durability. Some tyres are built for speed and handling, while others are designed to maximise road life and support a comfortable everyday driving experience. The ones you choose will depend on everything from budget to the type of vehicle you drive and your specific preferences.

But do you know how the wide range of features linked to each tyre type are tracked and monitored? In many cases, the data and insight used by brands and designers comes straight from the tyres themselves - in the form of complex sensors.

What Are Tyre Sensors and What Do They Do?

Tyre sensors are embedded into the build of the tyres, relaying information as to its pressure, performance, tread depth, and overall safety. With real-time access to this information, much of which is given to the driver via the TPMS system on their dashboard, vehicles are both safer to drive and more efficient. For example, a driver will learn of low tyre pressure before experiencing a blowout, and will be informed of low tread depth before the tyre becomes at high risk of puncture.

These sensors demonstrate the enhanced safety and functionality of smart tyres, in terms of minimising specific risks and alerting drivers to potential issues before they become hazardous. But that’s not all.

Using data from tyre sensors, drivers can also save money and ensure that their travels are more fuel efficient. Keep reading as we deep dive into the benefits of tyres with integrated smart sensors.

The Benefits of Smart Tyre Sensors

The benefits of fitting smart tyre sensors are simple. They boost safety, grant drivers access to information that allows them to stay ahead of tyre maintenance (thereby reducing the risk of unexpected blowouts and punctures), and support smoother and more efficient journeys.

They also support and facilitate more efficient driving, and encourage drivers to stay on top of any potential tyre damage - both benefits that save money in the long run. Detecting potential damage or a drop in tyre pressure early, and optimising fuel efficiency, can help prevent expensive repair bills.

And as we will go on to explore, the smarter tyres and their various sensors get, the more systems they support.

Do You Need a TPMS To Fit Smart Tyres?

There are certain types of tyre that require specific vehicle integrations. Run-flat tyres, for example, require a TPMS that alerts the driver to a drop in pressure - allowing them to adjust their driving behaviour accordingly.

And it’s the rise in prominence of this benefit and use of the TPMS that has made it commonplace across the vehicle industry. Since 2012 all new vehicle models have been required to have a TPMS fitted as standard - with legislation citing it as a crucial safety component for modern vehicles.

These sensors don’t just monitor tyre pressure, though this remains a valuable form of information for safe driving. They also monitor tyre temperature, tread depth and performance across different terrains and conditions - so as to detect potential issues and flag certain limitations.

All of this requires the crucial integrated TPMS that carries this data from the tyres up to the dashboard, where it can be interpreted by the driver.

How Are Tyre Smart Sensors Improving?

Suffice to say, the need for realtime insight into tyre performance and safety has long been a priority of the industry. But how are things developing amid the rise in access to smart technology?

Smart and innovative tyre sensors are now able to track more data than ever - collecting countless data points and creating ever-changing tyre profiles based on various driving behaviours and external conditions. Sensors can now measure tyre pressure, temperature, the stability of the contact patch, the consistency of tread wear, and changing traction according to the terrain and climate.

These sensors, embedded into smart tyres, can use adaptive technology to optimise driving performance across a range of different conditions. These include stabilising handling on smooth roads, boosting traction on off-road terrain, and reducing things like rolling resistance to maximise fuel efficiency.

This underpins that critical secondary benefit of tyre sensors and smart tyres - the ability to better control the driving experience and the efficiency of the vehicle.

A lot of this information comes from alternative systems known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The ADAS use grip and performance data to inform the development of things like automation across the tyre industry, while Electronic Stability Control systems pay attention to how handling is impacted by the connection between road surface and tyre tread pattern.

It’s undeniable that tyres are becoming smarter and are keeping us, as drivers, connected with our vehicles. What matters most is ensuring that this data is tangible, accessible, and easy to understand and interpret. Which is why communicating the benefits is so important.

Where to Buy Smart Tyres

Drivers can find smart tyres across a range of premium tyre brands, including names like Nokian Tyres and Sumitomo Tyres, Goodyear, Continental, and Michelin. You can browse all of these on our individual tyre brand pages, with our expert team able to offer advice on selecting the right smart tyres to complement your vehicle, its monitoring technology, and your needs as a driver.