The tire/pavement interface zone is the origin of a major portion of the ride vibration, ride noise, and environmental noise disturbances associated with road vehicles. It is appropriate to view these separate problems as one comprehensive systems problem involving the road, the tire, the vehicle, and human response to noise and vibration stimuli. A flow chart is used to discuss the general systems problem. Main branches of the flow chart are examined based on a thorough review of the pertinent literature. Relevant and previously unpublished information is included in the paper.