The Tyre Label will generally apply to car
and SUV tyres, van tyres and truck tyres but NOT to non
road-legal tyres such as racing tyres, retreaded tyres,
spare tyres or vintage car tyres. The new legislation will
require the EU Tyre Label to be provided in the form of
a sticker on or with the tyre.
The legislation will also require the tyre
dealer to provide the Tyre Label values on or with the invoice
and it will be the retailer's responsibility to make sure
the tyre label has is clearly visible at the point of sale
or, if not, the label has to be actively shown to the consumer
There is also an onus on car manufacturers
to make the tyre label values available at the initial purchase
of a car, but only when the consumer has the choice of more
than one type of tyre. It will be down to each EU member
state to organise monitoring and impose penalties in cases
of non-compliance with the legislation.
The label will provide information on three
characteristics - fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise.
Fuel efficiency/Rolling Resistance
Fuel efficiency is important to reduce
both CO2 emissions and the cost of driving. Tyres will be
rated in categories from A to G with A meaning low fuel
consumption and G high fuel consumption. Category D is not
used. The difference between each category means a reduction
or increase in fuel consumption of between 0.42 and 0.56
mpg for a 36 mpg car.
Wet Grip
Wet grip is a critical safety feature and
relates to the tyres ability to stop a vehicle quickly on
wet roads and can be expressed in terms of stopping distance.
Again, tyres will be rated alphabetically on an A to G scale
with A representing the shortest stopping distances. In
this case categories D and G are not used. The difference
in each category shown means a stopping distance of between
one and two car lengths (between 3 and 6 metres) when braking
from 50 mph. The difference between categories A and F is
more than 18 metres stopping distance.
Noise
This is the external noise made by the tyre
and is measured in decibels and rated according to three
classes. The more black bars shown on the label, the louder
the tyres.
What else should be considered when choosing
new tyres?
The new label is designed to show information
regarding 3 criteria. However there are many other important
performance factors to consider including
Although the labels will be a useful source
of information for the consumer tyre tests will continue
to be an important source of information for consumers since
they test up to 11 further safety relevant product properties
in addition to the 3 criteria shown on the label. In winter,
other tyre performance criteria become important which are
not included on the label. Motorists should therefore consult
alternative sources such as published tyre tests, retailer
advice, manufacturer materials, etc. - when purchasing winter
tyres.
