Idea TitleGet a Grip! Improving Traction on Alaskan Roads
Submission DivisionCub (12 years and under)
AbstractBy Grail Conley and Revy Conley
Each year in the United States, over 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 people are injured in vehicle crashes on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement. More extreme weather will only make driving more dangerous. Snow tires help but are too expensive for most people. The idea proposes "Get a Grip! Improving Traction on Alaskan Roads'' through "SipingSleeves," a cost-effective wire mesh sheaths that enhance tire traction by combining siping and traction sleeves. Aimed at Alaska and Arctic residents dependent on vehicles, SipingSleeves offers a safer alternative to expensive snow tires, priced under $100 per vehicle.
Siping is the process of cutting nearly invisible, 90-degree slits in tire treads. These cuts are no more than 4-8mm deep but give water or snow somewhere to go and increase the contact surface between a tire and the road. SipingSleeves combine the best of two technologies, siping and traction sleeves. SipingSleeves are fine wire mesh sheaths modeled on razor wire but much safer to handle. They slide over tires when roads are snowy or icy. The barbs on the mesh provide immediate traction (like studs or chains). They also make small cuts in the surface of the tire (siping) that provide traction even when the mesh is removed.
Unique in its combination of siping and traction sleeves, SipingSleeves addresses the need for affordable traction solutions in harsh weather conditions.