Tread pattern of a vehicle pneumatic tire for utility vehicles having a tread pattern portion which is in the center in the axial direction A of the tire, and having a shoulder tread portion (14, 15) axially on either side of the central tread pattern portion, wherein the central tread pattern portion is formed from multiple tread bands (18, 19, 20) arranged axially side by side, each separated from one another by a circumferential groove (23, 24) and aligned in a circumferential direction U - such as circumferential ribs or series of tread lugs, for example - of which the axially outer tread band facing each of the two sides is in each case a first tread band (18, 20), wherein the shoulder tread portions (14, 15) each comprise a second tread band (16, 17), which in each case is separated from the next first tread band (18, 20) of the central tread portion by a first circumferential groove (21, 22), wherein these tread bands (16, 17, 18, 20) are each defined radially outwards by a radially outer surface (26, 25) forming the ground contact surface and are defined in relation to the adjacent circumferential groove (21, 22) with a flank (27, 28), which forms the groove wall facing the tread band (16, 17, 18, 20), wherein at least one of the two first circumferential grooves (21, 22) is formed with a bar, which is radially raised from the groove base and which extends over the entire circumference of the vehicle pneumatic tire, and which in a radial direction of its extent terminates radially inside the shell surface formed by the radially outer surfaces (26, 25) of the first and second tread bands (20, 17), and which in an axial direction A divides the first circumferential groove into a first circumferential groove portion adjacent to the first tread band and a second circumferential groove portion adjacent to the second tread band, and wherein the first circumferential groove portion is of narrower design than the second, characterized in that in the cross sectional planes comprising the tire axis the groove base defining the second circumferential groove portion radially inwards is formed with an axially extending portion of length a running in a straight line, that in the cross sectional planes comprising the tire axis the flank of the bar facing the second circumferential groove portion extends substantially in a straight line outwards, wherein a curved transitional portion having a radius of curvature R 2 is formed between the portion of the groove base extending in a straight line and the bar flank, that in the cross sectional planes comprising the tire axis the flank of the second tread band facing the second circumferential groove portion extends substantially in a straight line radially outwards, at least in its radially outer area of extent, wherein a curved transition having a radius of curvature R 3 with R 3 > R 2, is formed starting from the portion of the groove base extending in a straight line to the flank of the second tread band, and wherein the portion of the groove base extending in a straight line in an axial direction A is formed rising radially from the transition to the bar flank to the transition to the flank of the second tread band, enclosing an angle of inclination α, with 3° ≤ a ≤ 20°, with respect to the axial direction A.