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Background and criteria:
From November 2012, a standard label for vehicle tires will be mandatory throughout Europe: based on three criteria, the EU tire label provides information on the environmental and safety characteristics of a tire with the aim of increasing road safety and reducing pollution. | | Label Design |
Safety
Secure grip in wet conditions is crucial for safe driving. Performance is graded into classes, A to G (although D and G are not currently used). The stopping distance between a class A tire and a class F tire can be as much as 18 metres.
Fuel efficiency
Reduced rolling resistance saves fuel and cuts CO2 emissions. Class A tires deliver the best fuel efficiency, with each subsequent class through to G increasing fuel consumption by between 0.42 and 0.56 mpg for a car which does 36 mpg.
Noise
This is the external noise made by the tire and is measured in decibels. The more filled bars shown on the label, the louder the tires.
What else should be considered when choosing new tires?
The new label is designed to show information regarding 3 criteria. However, there are many other important performance factors to consider including:
- Resistance to aquaplaning
- Driving stability
- Handling and steering precision
- Durability
- Braking performance
- Capabilities in winter conditions
At least there are up to 11 relevant factores that standard tire tests include in addition to the label criteria (see table below).
Automotive manufacturers require the very highest standard across all these performance factors before they approve tires for their new vehicles.
Furthermore, widely published tire tests also take these performance factors into account and therefore continue to be an excellent source of independent information regarding the total performance of a tire.
Further information: wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_label
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