From November 1st, all replacement tyres will be legally required to have a new label in place which details cost and safety information
Tyre companies have already begun to roll out the largest customer information programme the industry has seen, introducing tyre labels that will appear in shops and dealerships this week. Fuel efficiency and safety are categorised using a seven grade ranking scale.
Paul Everitt of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders commented: “Before this tyre label, customers only had price and brand to distinguish between more than 300 different types of tyres, now motorists have a set of comparable factors to make buying decisions easier”.
A top-ranked ‘A grade tyre’ could be as much as 30% better off for safety and 7.5% for fuel efficiency, when compared to the lowest ranked ‘G grade’ tyre. Using the A grade tyre would result in a vehicle stopping three to four car lengths shorter from 50mph and would mean an average fuel saving of around £100 a year.
From November 1st, tyre retailers must ensure that tyres which are visible to the consumer carry a sticker or have one immediately next to it. If tyres are not visible to customers at the point of sale, distributors must provide information on the fuel efficiency class, wet grip class and external rolling noise class. This information needs to be included with invoices when sold online.
For more information on tyre labelling, please visit www.etrma.org.
Nicola St Clair
nicola@aftermarket.co.uk
