Have you noticed just how quiet the traditional car is these days? This is a trend that has been developing over the recent years as designers pay much more attention to aerodynamic efficiency and as technology continues to make an impact. It's also a result of the increasing move toward hybrid (or full electric) drive trains, and the net result is that the on-board passenger experience is now much more pleasant.

However, you may still be noticing some "road noise," and you should realise that this is probably caused by your older or out-of-date tyres. What do you need to consider?

Are You Keeping up?

If you don't use your car a lot, you may have had your existing tyres for quite some time. You may not know, however, that tyre technology has also improved considerably, in line with aerodynamic improvements. So if you have old tyres, you should update them. It doesn't make sense to have an essentially quiet car if your tyres are not helping out.

Less Resistance

Modern-day tyres are also built to be quieter, but without compromising any safety or performance characteristics. One of the ways manufacturers do this is to reduce rolling resistance. In short, the tyres now are less affected by friction and traction forces than they were before, and this means that they are a lot quieter.

Vibrating Air

Tyre engineers also understand how air within the tyre can cause its own noise. This is known as "cavity resonance" and is caused when the air starts to vibrate at speed. Now, it is usual for special polyurethane foam to be injected into the tyre itself to account for some of the resonance and cut down the vibration. When this is contained, the amount of noise that makes its way into the interior compartment of the car is also reduced.

What's the Downside?

You may think that these noise-reducing techniques would cut down on the life of the tyre or add some unneeded weight. However, neither of these worries is founded, and the new technology is not adversely affecting your petrol consumption. All of these new benefits are part of doing business for the tyre developers and are costed into the price of your new tyre.

So if you want to enjoy the sounds of your stereo system or carry on more detailed conversations with your passengers, make sure that you get a new set of car tyres as soon as possible.