Described by some as one of the biggest changes to affect the tyre industry in recent years, new tyre labelling regulations for car and truck tyres will come into force from 1st November 2012.
The regulations are designed to provide consumers with information on the tyre’s fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise so they are able to make a more informed choice when selecting new tyres.
For many casual observers, this date may still seem some way off, however the challenges of meeting this European-wide regulation are extremely complex. For those brands and manufacturers who have not already developed a strategy to meet these new requirements, time is running out.
In order to generate the data, manufacturers are required to conduct a series of carefully controlled tests against a standard reference tyre. These test results are then used to grade the tyre’s performance in one of seven banded classes for both fuel efficiency and wet grip, and one of three classes for external rolling noise.
With the details of the final tests only recently agreed by the European Commission, manufacturers are now in a race against time to provide retailers with the relevant information about their products in a timely manner. As seen with recent investigations into PAH compliance, manufacturers can expect each member state to be keeping a close eye on compliance, with substantial penalties likely for any brands failing to comply.
However, despite the delays in finalising the test procedures, ITMA members have been kept fully informed about developments regarding this legislation for many months.
“ITMA has been closely monitoring the development of the new tyre labelling regulations,” explains David Seward, president, ITMA. “By taking an active role we have been able to ensure that our members’ views have been considered. Equally, we have been able to provide ongoing advice and updates to our members as and when developments occur.”
With significant penalties expected for any tyre manufacturer or brand failing to comply with the new legislation, ITMA is encouraging any brands who are still to develop their tyre labelling strategy to contact them urgently to discuss membership and learn how the association can provide a wide range of advice and support services.
This entry was posted on Thursday, October 13th, 2011 at 12:32 am and is filed under Membership You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a trackback from your own site.
