Tire laws and regulations
It is not possible to drive any desired tire on your car and thus the tires you choose should have an approval for your vehicle. When it comes to tires, there are a few other regulations besides the necessary tire approval.
Here you can find the tire laws and regulations:
- Tire approval
- EU tire label
- Obligation to carry a spare wheel
- Obligation to fit winter tires
Approved Tires
To find out which tires are allowed on a car or motorbike, it is usually helpful to take a look at the vehicle documents. It is often the case, that other sizes are also allowed, but modifications have to be registered, otherwise, the registration and the insurance cover will expire. Many tire manufacturers offer on their websites the possibility to apply for such approved tires by entering the following information:
- vehicle make and model
- vehicle type
- maximum speed
- standard tires
- permitted axle loads
- desired tyre size(s)
- rim size
EU Tire Label
The EU Tire Label or the European Tire Labelling Regulation has been mandatory for tyre manufacturers since 1 November 2012. The EU Tire Label was designed to assess certain criteria for a tire. Three different areas will be tested. First, there is the rolling resistance, the wet grip and the rolling noise that the tire causes on the road.
This regulation has been reviewed and will be replaced from 1 May 2021 by Regulation (EU) 2020/740, which will be subject to new requirements. With this regulation, the EU wants to protect the environment above all. Thus, customers need to look for the EU Tire Label when buying products that score well in this respect.
Rolling Resistance
The rolling resistance of a tire has a direct influence on the fuel consumption of the vehicle. The EU Tire Label uses classification to test the rolling resistance, where A stands for the lowest and E for the highest rolling resistance. If you pay attention to this point when buying tires, the EU Tire Label assigns it to classes. The scale has only 5 classes (A to E), with A being the most efficient.
Wet Grip
The wet grip is also rated in 5 classes from A to E on the EU Tire Label. The wet grip classification refers to the braking distance compared to a reference tyre. Class A tyres have a much shorter braking distance than class E tires, which can save lives in an emergency.
Noise
The third point refers to the rolling noise of a tire (from A, B, C), i.e. the loudness the tire reaches when driving. The EU Tire Label shows the level of the rolling noise in decibels. Besides the information provided by the EU Tire Label, other factors should be taken into account when buying a tire, such as tyre life and quality. According to the new regulation, which will be updated from 2021, there are also options to include (next to the noise symbol) a symbol for grip in icy conditions and/or heavy snow conditions to the standard labelling.
Tires designed for heavy snow conditions feature the "3 Peaks and Snow" or "Alpine" symbol on their sidewall. Nordic winter tires for use on icy surfaces carry a new symbol representing an ice stalagmite.
For each tire type designation, there is a QR code with a link to the EU product database (EPREL).
In the end, every customer has to decide on the significance of the EU Tire Label.
Obligation to carry a spare wheel
Many motorists wonder whether a spare wheel is a must. The answer lies in the fact that many car manufacturers no longer equip their new vehicles with a spare wheel but only with repair kits. Yet they would definitely do so if it was necessary. And indeed, there is no law for a spare wheel or tire repair kit. Still, it should be in your interest to have a solution for a flat tire. And note that, unlike using a spare wheel, you have to drive to the nearest garage immediately after using a repair kit.