NEW RULES FROM 2012
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From 2012, truck tyre makers will have to comply with new rules governing we grip, noise and rolling resistance.
No one is entirely certain what the wet-grip threshold will be because a final decision about testing methods has yet to be taken. However, permitted noise levels will be cut by 3dB and rolling resistance must not exceed a minimum of 8.1kg of rolling force per tonne of wheel load, reducing to 6.5kg a tonne by 201i From 2012, tyres will have to be accompanied by labels bearing wet grip, noise and rolling resistance data, similar to those on domestic refrigerators.
Three noise levels will be shown; the legal limit, 3dB below the limit, and morE than 3dB and will accompanied by a pictogram featuring lines emanating from loudspeaker symbol.
For rolling resistance, tyres will be split into seven classes, from A to G. Category A tyres will offer the least resistance, at 4.0kg per tonne or less while category B tyres will have a rolling resistance of 4.1kg to 5.0kg per tonne, and category C a resistance of 5,1 kg to 6.0kg and so on down the list.
The wet-grip label content will not be determined until the wet-grip test procedure has been finalised.
For the most part, tyre manufacturers appear to be unruffled by the prospect of new regulations and are confident that their products will meet them. But product development does not come cheap — nor do raw materials — and that reflected in tyre prices. Goodyear's LHT 11, for example, is 10% more expensive than its predecessor.
However, tyre costs are a fraction of the diesel bills most operators face and if pricier tyres can bring fuel expenditure down, then it is an expense well worth it.