Technical solutions are described for estimating tire-road friction in a vehicle pro-actively, prior to safety systems of the vehicle are engaged. An example method includes computing a slip for the vehicle based on one or more wheel speeds, acceleration, and tire pressure measurement. The method further includes determining a slope (α) as indicator of tire-road friction for the vehicle based on the acceleration and the slip. Further, the method includes sending the slope to an autonomous controller of the vehicle for adjusting vehicle kinematics according to the estimated friction using the slope.