Press Release
Planned EU Requirements for Tires Would Reduce
Road Traffic Safety
Continental advocates consumer-friendly and all-inclusive labeling
Hanover, November 12, 2007. By means of various regulations, the EU intends to reduce
both CO2 emissions and noise pollution from road traffic in the future. Also under discussion
in this regard is an “environmental label" aimed at informing consumers about tire rolling resistance. Likewise planned is a new requirement for reducing tire/road noise. Realization of
both targets in the scope envisioned by the EU would entail, at the same time, considerably
compromising a tire’s performance in terms of road safety.
“We, too, are very much endeavored to effecting a continued and sustained improvement in
the environmental compatibility of our products. Nonetheless, we explicitly advise against
any one-sided approach at the expense of safety," said Manfred Wennemer, Executive
Board chairman of Continental AG in Hanover. “A good tire has to be balanced, i.e. alongside other properties it must also offer the lowest possible rolling resistance and, at the same
time, good braking properties. Anything else would represent a marked setback in terms of
road safety. Not only motorists but also kids out at play, pedestrians and cyclists would also
suffer in this case. What is more, a development in this direction would run counter to the
European Road Safety Charter, in which the EU has committed itself to halving the number
of traffic fatalities to 25,000 by 2010. That should, however, remain the overriding objective.
Nowadays, even manufacturers without wide-ranging technical know-how are capable of
designing tires specifically for low-rolling resistance. At the same time, such products exhibit,
however, much poor braking on wet roads. Current ADAC winter tire tests indicate that even
quality products designed expressly for extremely low-rolling resistance and high mileage
perform ten percent poorer in terms of wet braking than tires with good all-round properties.
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-2Editors of the German magazines "auto motor und sport", "AutoBild" and "Stiftung Warentest", for example, came to similar conclusions. Their test parameters are set in such a way
as to provide the most balanced possible assessment of safety and environmental aspects.
“In the case of these test results we talk about eight-meter-longer braking distances for a
vehicle operating at a speed of 100 km/h. At the time of a potential crash, a vehicle whose
tires were designed solely with low rolling resistance in mind and thus exhibit poorer braking,
still has a residual speed of 35 km/h at the moment when the vehicle with balanced tires has
already come to a stop,” underscored Wennemer. For this reason experts are highly critical
of a one-sided “tire rolling resistance label“. According to experts – including the ADAC, for
example – braking performance should definitely also be included in consumer information
and, at the same time, indicated on a corresponding label.
“New, really clear labeling would have the advantage of truly giving the motorist a choice. At
the same time, it would warn against fitting tires with poor handling properties. Labeling like
that is the very least that we would want to see in terms of consumer education,” said
Wennemer. The ADAC and ETRMA, the umbrella organization for European tire manufacturers, for example, also back this recommendation. One-dimensional labeling of the kind
that may make sense in the case of refrigerators, in no way reflects the complexity of hightech products like tires.
The basic problem is that of conflicting goals in the case of tire design, something both consumers and lawmakers are little aware of. Because of the laws of physics and chemistry, a
tire is always something of a compromise in terms of its design and the compound used. It
can’t provide super braking on wet roads, hold out for the life of the vehicle, generate virtually
no noise and on top of all that have low rolling resistance so low as to render the vehicle
maximally fuel-efficient with more or less zero CO2 emissions. Improving one property too
much automatically means that compromises have to be made with at least one other requirement,” explains Dr. Burkhard Wies, Head of Passenger Tire Development at Continental.
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-3“There is a similar problem in the case of noise buildup. Minimal tread pattern means minimal
noise buildup. A slick tire like those used in Formula 1 would represent the absolute epitome.
This is not an option for normal everyday cars, of course. A tire like this has extremely poor
braking qualities in the wet; its hydroplaning properties would also be completely unacceptable," continuing Dr. Wies.
On city streets it’s not tires that account for most of the traffic noise, which is due to engines
revving up when the vehicle takes off, squealing brakes and other sources, such as manhole
covers or road markings. At speeds of between 60 and 100 km/h, on the other hand, tires
emit the most noise. At speeds of over 100 km/h vehicle body wind noise is the main culprit.
“We know that in any case, the European tire industry in particular already offers very quiet
tires. If all tires – even cheap imports – were just as quiet as those sold by quality manufacturers, much would already be achieved,” added Dr. Wies in closing.
The Continental Corporation is a leading automotive supplier of brake systems, chassis components,
vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers. In 2006 the corporation realized sales of €14.9
billion. At present it has a worldwide workforce of around 89,000.
Alexander Lührs
Head of Passenger Car Tire PR
Continental AG
Büttnerstraße 25
D-30165 Hanover
Phone: +49 511 938-2615
Fax: +49 511 938-2455
E-Mail: alexander.luehrs@conti.de
Hannes Boekhoff
Head of Press
Continental AG
Vahrenwalder Straße 9
D-30165 Hanover
Phone: +49 511 938-1278
Fax: +49 511 938-1055
E-Mail: prkonzern@conti.de
Corporate Media Database: www.mediacenter.conti-online.com