Pneumatic tire

Abstract

A pneumatic tire has a tread having adjacent rib-shaped land portions () with circumferential grooves () therebetween. Annular elongate projection portions () project toward each other from adjacent rib-shaped land portions (). The elongate projection portions () confronting each other are disposed with a spacing therebetween such that their mutually confronting tip surfaces () make contact with each other due to elastic deformation of the rib-shaped land portions () at the time of grounding of the tire. An inside groove space () is formed on a radially inner side of the confronting elongate projection portions () and an outside groove space () is formed on a radially outer side of the elongate projection portions (). The tip surfaces () of the elongate projection portions () are formed with a plurality of communication recesses () providing communication between the inside and outside groove spaces (). The communication recesses () are formed at intervals in a tread circumferential direction. It is thus possible to enhance rigidity of the rib-shaped land portions over the whole tread at the time of grounding of the tire, thereby to suppress elastic deformation of the rib-shaped land portions and to reduce rolling resistance, while securing a draining property attributable to the circumferential grooves.