TIRE WITH RUBBER TREAD OF INTERMEDIAL AND LATERAL ZONES WITH PATH OF LEAST ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE

A tire is disclosed. having a circumferential rubber tread having a cap/base configuration comprising a radially outer tread cap rubber layer (3) with a lug and groove configuration with the radially outer portions of the tread lugs providing the running surface of the tread (2), and a tread base rubber layer (4) underlying the tread cap rubber layer (3). The tread cap rubber layer (3) is composed of or comprises at least three circumferential load bearing zones (5A, 6, 5B) comprising an intermediate tread zone rubber layer (6) positioned between and extending beneath two lateral tread zone rubber layers (5A, 5B) and underlying the lateral tread zone rubber layers (5A, 5B) and overlying the tread base rubber layer. The rubber composition of the intermediate tread zone rubber layer (6) has a 100°C hot rebound property greater than the 100°C hot rebound property of the rubber composition of the preferably stratified lateral tread rubber layers (5A, 5B). A path of low or least electrical resistance extends from one or both of the respective lateral rubber tread zones (5A, 5B) to the tread base rubber layer (4) by one or more extensions (8A, 8B) of a respective lateral tread zone layer (5A, 5B) which extend to and join the tread base rubber layer (4) and/or by at least one intermediate rubber bridge (10) which extends between and joins the one or both respective lateral tread zone rubber layers (5A, 5B) and the tread base rubber layer (4).