Road safety: ETRMA calls for action on “underused” tire labelling

Brussels – The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has called for tire-safety and tire-labelling to be taken more seriously in Europe – as the region marked European Day Without A Road Death’ (EDWARD).

“Road safety starts with us, road users, as it is our chief responsibility to do our best to ensure that we are well equipped to take the road, especially with regard to tires," said ETRMA secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp in a statement.

The EU introduced a mandatory tire labelling scheme in 2012 to improve the overall safety and environmental performance of tires.

“Nearly four years after the introduction of the EU Tyre Label, tire choice is still widely dominated by price considerations,” said Cinaralp, calling for better enforcement of the scheme.

The tire label “remains underused by many consumers,” she added in a statement to coincide with EDWARD, on 21 Sept.

The ETRMA chief urged increased market surveillance to help improve the “uptake and credibility of the label”.

Highlighting the importance of correct tire choice, ETRMA said the use of winter tires on passenger cars can reduce the number of accidents caused by lack of grip in winter conditions by 46 percent.