Briefing

An EU label to promote safe, fuel efficient and quiet tyres

March 25, 2009

Briefing on the EU proposal to mandate tyre labels.

The proposal to label motor vehicle tyres according to their wet grip, fuel efficiency and noise performance should be wholeheartedly welcomed. The labelling scheme will grant consumers access to independently verified information on tyre performance for the first time.

  • The most fuel efficient (low rolling resistance) tyres currently on the market can reduce fuel consumption and therefore CO2 emissions by 10% compared to today’s worst performers.
  • Quieter tyres can cut road traffic noise by half. Tyre/road contact is the dominant source of road traffic noise, so quieter tyres are especially important to the vast majority of Europeans who live urban areas and near highways.
  • Fuel efficient and quiet tyres are proven to be as safe or even safer compared to regular tyres through standard EU wet grip test methods.

This short briefing aims to outline the key changes needed to ensure the effectiveness of this Directive.

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