ETRMA calls for harmonised winter tyre definition
ERJ staff report (DS)
Brussels -- A European MEP has called for a harmonised definition of winter tyres to be established across Europe. Dr Dieter-Lebrecht Koch, MEP and Vice-Chairman of the Transport Committee added that each country should be allowed to legislate as it sees fit, so that southern European countries which see little winter weather would not need the same laws as Germany or Scandinavia.
Fazilet Cinaralp, Secretary General of ETRMA, agreed. She stressed that winter tyre technology has proven its potential to enhance drivers' safety and mobility in winter conditions. In this context, she called on Member States to apply the winter tyre definition set by the EU in Regulation 661/2009 - effective for new types of tyres from November 2012 - and to proceed with legislation as they judge appropriate for their countries' climate requirements.
Mr Szabolcs Schmidt, Head of Unit for Road Safety in the European Commission, said that he agreed that winter tyres could improve road safety during the winter conditions and that tyres in general play potentially an important role in reducing road accidents. To this end, after the first step of establishing a definition for winter tyres, he announced that in 2013 a study will be launched to evaluate the role that tyres could have in increasing road safety.
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Press release from ETRMA
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