RMA, TIA, Lanxess respond to NHTSA on consumer tyre labels

ERJ staff report (TB)

Washington DC -- The US-based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must ask probing, specific questions to consumer focus groups if it is to get meaningful feedback on the usefulness of proposed tyre fuel efficiency labeling and consumer information, the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) has told the agency.

Nov. 2 was the deadline to submit comments to NHTSA in response to its Sept. 3 and Sept. 27 requests for comments on its market research plan to determine the usefulness of consumer information and labeling under the tyre fuel efficiency rating rule issued last March. The two-phase NHTSA plan is to create two eight-member focus groups in three US cities, followed by on-site interviews at various tyre dealerships.

The RMA, the Tire Industry Association and Lanxess Corp. were the only commenters posted in the NHTSA docket as of Nov. 3.

The RMA recommended:

• That focus groups should only see proposed information and labels as NHTSA actually intends them to appear;
• That they should be asked probing questions, such as how they defined safety and durability as it pertains to tyres; and
• That conclusions on which labels to use should be based on differences observed between different groups, not within the same respondents.

“The ability for a label format to be understood is important,” the RMA said. “However, if the presentation of the information is unappealing or fails to capture consumers' attention, it may not be read.”

TIA said it was pleased NHTSA intended to conduct at least some of its research on-site at tyre retail stores.

“TIA would like to emphasise our belief that there is a limited amount of time available to deliver the message (about tyre fuel efficiency),” the association said. “TIA would also state that, in our members and their employees' role as providers of pertinent purchasing information to consumers, it could be viewed as negligent to emphasise one aspect of tyre ratings over another (fuel efficiency over traction) as it pertains to safety.”

Synthetic rubber producer Lanxess, formerly part of Bayer A.G., urged NHTSA to finalise the consumer information program as quickly as possible, in anticipation of the European Union requirement to start labeling tyres for fuel efficiency, wet grip and rolling noise starting in 2012.

From Tire Business (A Crain publication)