EU rolls out tougher tyre rules in bid to save 128m annually
The European Union has decided to implement a new regulation to reduce the tyre industry's carbon footprint. Under the new rules, used tyres with a tread depth of 1/16 inch must meet the same wet surface braking standards as brand-new tyres.
The European Union has opted for significant changes, requiring tyres to ensure stable driving and braking performance, whether new or with tread worn down to 1/16 inch.
The new regulations are intended to reduce the frequency of tyre changes. This is expected to save approximately 128 million tyres per year.
However, practice shows that, in many cases, drivers don't require much persuasion to change their habits.
From my observation, during the summer, people don’t react to tread height at all, nor do they pay attention to the wear indicator; they simply drive until the end. When it comes to winter, they listen when told that below the indicator the tyre is unsuitable because it must have a minimum of 5/32 of an inch, said Małgorzata Krawczyk from Eko Gum S.C.
New tyre regulations aimed to improve safety
The changes aim to make roads safer. One guideline tyres must meet is a braking test from 50 to 12 mph on a 1/25-inch layer of water.
It's obvious that a tyre must both maintain grip and channel water away. Regardless of whether the tread is 1/8 of an inch, 5/64 of an inch, or 1/16 of an inch, it should behave the same.
