In November 2012 the EU introduced a new labelling system for all new vehicle tyres. The labeling system is very similar to that used in the white goods market, and is designed to help motorists better understand the performance of specific tyre.
As all tyres produced after November 2012 have to display the same information, in the same format, it makes it very easy for motorists to directly compare the performance of one tyre against another on a like-for-like basis.
The EU labeling system is split into three main areas: fuel efficiency, wet weather performance, and noise levels.
Fuel Efficiency
This section looks at how economical the tyre is. The tyre is tested for its rolling resistance – the amount of energy it takes to keep the tyre rolling along the road.
The greater the rolling resistance, the more energy it will take to keep things moving, and therefore the more fuel you will use as a result.
The tyres are labeled from A to G ratings, with A being the most efficient (lowest rolling resistance, and best fuel economy) with G being the least efficient.
The EU have also announced that they are not going to use a D grade, to help better differentiate between the top three and bottom three grades.
Wet Weather Performance
This is most important factor to look at when deciding which new tyres to buy, as the wet weather performance rating will show you how good the tyre is in the rain and in slippery conditions.
Tyres with a higher grade here are considered safer in wet conditions, as they offer significantly reduced braking distances on wet roads. As with fuel efficiency, the grades range from A to G, and again D has been deliberately left out to further emphasise the difference between good and poor tyres.
The test involves driving a car at 50mph in the wet and measuring the braking distances. The distances increase around 3m between each grade, so the difference between the best performing A rated tyre and the worst performing G rated tyre can be as much as 18m!
And that could be the difference between you having a crash or not having a crash!!
Noise Levels
The noise levels are an indication of how much external noise the tyre makes when been driven. The EU labeling system expresses this as a decibel figure – a higher dB rating means a louder tyre.
But that’s not the only piece of information to be aware of here. The label with also show one, two, or three coloured sound waves alongside the dB figure, and these are important to know.
Three black waves indicates the worst performing tyres, and although they comply with current regulation they may not meet future noise limits.
Two black waves shows that the tyre will meet the future noise limits, while a single black wave indicates the best performing tyre available, one that is at least 3dB below the future noise limits.
