Tyre Labelling

Tyre labelling for passenger cars and light trucks will take effect from 1 November 2012 under European Regulation (EC) No. 1222/2009. This new regulation will bring a major advance in consumer information on tyre safety (wet braking) and the tyre’s impact on the environment (rolling resistance and external noise). The graphics on the label may be familiar as they are already used for household appliances and more recently for new cars, but what are the benefits for consumers? Similar to white goods such as fridges and washing machines, tyres will now have a label grading for three performance criteria:

  • Wet Grip – for safety
  • Fuel efficiency – for cost effectiveness
  • External noise – for reduced environmental impact.

Fuel Efficiency

fuelUse this diagram to see how a tyre performs on fuel consumption. Fuel-efficiency is graded from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient).

Save up to £110 or 80 litres of fuel over the life of the tyres. That’s for a car fitted with four A-rated tyres driving at 50mph – it uses 7.5% less fuel than with G-rated tyres.

Wet Grip

wetThis chart grades a tyre on how well it brakes in wet conditions. Performance scales from A (the safest, stopping in the shortest distances) down to G (least safe, with longest braking distances).

Stop up to 4 car lengths shorter. For a car fitted with four A-rated tyres driving at 50 mph, stopping distance can be up to 18 metres or shorter than with G-rated tyres.

External noise level

noiseThis diagram shows you a tyre’s noise level in decibels (dB). The 3-wave pictogram tells you how it rates in relation to future European mandatory limits. Tyre noise heard outside the car doesn’t necessarily relate to what you hear inside the car.

  • 3 black waves = Noisier tyre. Level greater than the future limit but complies with today’s noise regulation
  • 2 black waves = Average tyre. Noise level equal to or below future limit by up to 3 dB (A)
  • 1 black wave = Low noise tyre. Noise level 3 dB (A) or more below future noise limit 3dB doesn’t sound much but it is actually double the noise level!