Pneumatic tire

A pneumatic radial tire having a ground-engaging tread portion;

• a reinforcing belt structure in said ground-engaging tread portion characterized by said tread portion comprising a plurality of independent projections, said independent projections are arranged about the circumference of said tire so as to provide a plurality of substantially axially extending grooves from the center of said tread to the tread edge, said tread portion having a circumferentially extending central portion, said central portion having a width of at least 60 percent of the tread width and extending substantially equal on both sides of the mid-circumferential centerplane of said tire, said projections in said central portion having a rigid portion and at least one flexible portion, said flexible portion having a braking surface which forms an angle of at least 40.degree. with respect to the centerplane of the tire, said flexible portions, when the braking force is applied to the tire, deform so as to improve water drainage from the tread portion of the tire.