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UK drivers are risking their licences by breaking the speed limit when overtaking, shocking government figures have shown.

 

According to official stats, in 2017 almost 8,000 vehicles were involved in collisions when overtaking – and over half (55%) of these were cars.

 

Safety chiefs are now urging motorists to watch their speed when overtaking to avoid putting themselves and other road users at risk – and avoid getting hit with heavy fines or even losing their licence.

 

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is keen to set aside myths that speeding is acceptable when overtaking another vehicle.

 

“The common-sense message is do not overtake unless you are sure you can complete the manoeuvre safely and without causing risk or inconvenience to another road user,” warns an RoSPA spokesman.

 

“Although you should complete an overtaking manoeuvre quickly, never exceed the speed limit for the road.”

 

As rule 125 of the Highway Code states, the speed limit is the absolute maximum you should drive on any particular road. This does not exclude overtaking.

 

Exceeding the speed limit for any reason is dangerous as well as illegal and could see you hit with penalty points, a hefty fine, or even being banned from the roads entirely.

 

While overtaking is, of course, legal, there are strict rules about how and when it is safe to overtake – the most fundamental being that you should only overtake ‘when it is safe and legal to do so’.

 

If you’re caught speeding while overtaking, you could collect a fine up to £2,500 and six points on your licence, depending on your speed and the road you’re caught on.

 

Should you get 12 penalty points or more in any three-year period, you’ll have your licence revoked. By Graham Hill thanks to the RAC

Bluelight driver training is under the spotlight after fatalities during police pursuits reached a 10-year high, according to the latest statistics from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

 

While many fleets embrace on-the-road and classroom training to improve employee skills behind the wheel, for bluelight drivers it is an essential and mandatory part of the job.

 

The latest IOPC report on deaths as a result of police contact show there were 42 road traffic fatalities, an increase of 13 on last year and the highest figure in the past decade.

 

Of those, 30 deaths were from police pursuit-related incidents, also an increase of 13 from last year.

 

There were also five fatalities resulting from emergency response incidents, but this was a decrease of three compared with last year. the balance of the deaths – seven – were attributed to “other police traffic activity”.

 

The IOPC statistics show the majority of those that died were young drivers, with 22 deaths between the ages of 18 and 30. It said part of the increase can be explained by a rise in occupants per vehicle, compared with last year.

 

The statistics are shown as a national picture and are not broken down by police force, so it is not possible to identify particular regions in the UK that have higher casualty rates as a result of police pursuits.

 

The number of days of driver training for a police response vehicle can range from four to eight weeks.

 

An officer has to retrain or attend a refresher course if they have not used their standard/response or advanced driver training within a 12-month period.

 

Phill Matthews, Police Federation of England and Wales’ lead on conduct and performance, said police last year carried out at least 13,000 pursuits and eight million response drives.

 

Matthews said: “Therefore, the IOPC figures represent a tiny proportion, with the majority of drives being safely completed; reflecting just how high the standard of police driver training is.

 

“Not to mention soaring crime figures and increasing road use which means the demand placed on our officers using their driving skills and training is peaking.”

 

He said forces, along with the College of Policing, will continue to deliver and develop training to continue to best protect the public.

 

New test for police drivers

 

The Government announced in May this year that it would be introducing a new legislative test to assess the standard of driving for police officers.

 

The new police driving legislation will compare the standard of driving for an officer against that of a “careful, competent and suitably trained police driver in the same role”, rather than use the existing test which compares driving against a standard qualified driver who would not normally be involved in police action.

 

Michael Lockwood, IOPC director, said: “The increase in pursuit-related deaths this year points to a continued need for ongoing scrutiny of this area of policing.

 

“Police drivers need to be able to pursue suspects and respond quickly to emergency calls as part of their duty, but it’s not without risk.

 

“This includes risks not only for the police and the driver of any pursued vehicle, but for passengers, bystanders and other road users. Pursued drivers bear responsibility for their own actions, but police officers should also take into account the risks to the public and only undertake a pursuit where it is safe to do so, and where authorised.”

 

Lockwood said police officers who are appropriately trained and skilled should be able to respond to an emergency without fear that they will face unfair consequences.

 

But he added that there needs to be a balance ensuring that any change to legislation does not have the unintended consequence of reducing public safety or undermine the ability to hold the police to account effectively.

 

The Government has also decided to make it clear that police officers should not be regarded as being accountable for the driving of a suspected criminal who is attempting to avoid arrest by driving in a dangerous manner, provided the pursuit is justified and proportionate.

 

It is also looking to review the existing emergency service exemptions to traffic law to ensure they remain fit for purpose.

 

In addition, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) is updating its guidance on “tactical contact” to differentiate the approach used on vehicles compared with motorcycle/moped pursuits.

 

Whenever there is a fatality or life-changing injury in relation to a road traffic incident (RTI), it is automatically referred to the IOPC, which conducts its own investigation.

 

This will include examining the vehicles involved, as well as interviewing the officers.

 

The IOPC is looking at training its own officers to the same standards as the police to help give them hands-on experience of techniques used during pursuits.

 

If there are suspected criminal charges against a police officer, these are referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

 

If there are misconduct or gross misconduct concerns, these recommendations are then given to the respective police force.

 

Discipline for misconduct is handled by the individual police force and this can range from dismissal in cases of gross misconduct and repeated formal warnings, to driver retraining or advice on how they should follow the procedural police pursuit guidelines correctly.

 

The IOPC spokesman told Fleet News: “There is less than a handful of cases a year where police officers are charged with a criminal offence, or with misconduct or gross misconduct as a result of a fatality from an RTI.

 

“In the rare cases where this happens it’s usually because an officer continues a pursuit after they have been told to abandon, or if an officer carries out a pursuit when they have not had the correct training, or if an officer carries out a pursuit that has not had formal authorisation.”

 

The types of police driver training

 

The National Roads Policing and Police Driving Learning Programme (RPPDLP) sets out national learning standards for police driving.

 

There are three levels of police driver training that all officers have to take if they drive as part of their job – basic, standard/response and advanced.

 

In addition to these, there are also specialist police vehicles and roles that are set out in the RPPDLP.

 

Basic training is provided to all officers and staff with a full DVLA driving licence that have a need to drive official vehicles and is a one-day assessment.

 

Standard/response training is given to officers to allow them to respond safely to incidents requiring the use of legal exemptions, such as exceeding speed limits and running red lights, and takes two-to-four weeks to complete.

 

A standard/response driver is permitted to drive low to intermediate performance vehicles but is not expected to use unmarked police vehicles in a pursuit situation.

 

Advanced training clears officers to drive high performance vehicles operationally and is a further four-week course and assessment, in addition to the standard/response training.

 

The National Police Chiefs’ Council does not lead on training and so the NPCC deferred to the College of Policing to say what part it plays with driver training.

 

According to official College of Policing guidance, a police driver is deemed to be in pursuit when a driver/motorcyclist indicates they have no intention of stopping.

 

When a situation falls within the definition of a pursuit, officers need to decide whether a pursuit is justified, proportionate and conforms to the principle of least intrusion.

 

A spokesperson for the College of Policing said: “The police driver training strategy must always seek to promote public confidence in the way in which the police fleet is used.

 

“Where driving standards fall below the accepted principles it is incumbent on the force to identify, review and act proportionately in any post-collision investigation and/or intervention.”

 

The spokesperson said all driver training leads are expected to be cognisant of emerging police collision/incident reviews following internal investigations, court proceedings, coroner’s rulings, or recommendations made following IOPC reviews.

 

The college said: “It is important that police drivers are able to dynamically self-assess their actions and performance.

 

“This helps them to meet the changing circumstances and pressures they face in their decisions and actions, especially when driving to incidents, working extended hours or during pursuit situations.”

 

Safety lesson for all fleet operators

 

Lisa Dorn, associate professor of driver behaviour at Cranfield University and research director for DriverMetrics, recently contributed to a Brake report on engaging fleet managers on safety and training.

 

She said no matter what the profession, those driving for work can benefit from advanced driver training to influence safety and behaviour behind the wheel.

 

Bluelight drivers are under increased pressure while driving, but non-emergency fleets face one-in-three road deaths in the UK involving somebody who drives for work.

 

Dorn said: “Fleets should carry out an in-depth evaluation of driver training procedures to determine how effective their current training programmes are and whether they encourage positive or negative driver behaviour.”

 

IOPC investigations into RTIs

 

While the number of deaths related to police pursuits has increased, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) reiterated that the vast majority of these incidences were not related to police wrongdoing.

 

The IOPC (formerly the IPCC – Independent Police Complaints Commission) examined its data in relation to cases over a five-and-a-half-year period that had a road traffic incident factor.

 

Between April 1, 2012 and September 30, 2017, the IPCC received more than 1,600 RTI referrals.

 

The majority (68%) of them were returned for local investigation. A relatively small proportion, 251 (15%) were independently investigated and 97 were fully investigated.

 

The IOPC categorised these investigations using the same criteria as the IPCC statistics on annual deaths during or following police contact.

 

The table above sets out the number of independent investigations in which police officers were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the prosecutorial outcomes arising.

 

Following referral to the CPS, just two officers were prosecuted in relation to pursuits. No officers were convicted.

 

What fleets can learn from the bluelight approach to driver training

 

“While any number of road fatalities is too many, it is first important to note that the number of pursuit-related fatalities quoted in the IOPC report represents a very small proportion of police pursuits.

 

They should, of course, be viewed in the context of the high-risk scenarios encountered in law enforcement activity. By and large, I think the public have a high level of confidence in the effectiveness and safety of police officers in their driving, and accept that high-speed pursuit is often a necessary part of their duty.

 

Collisions occurring during police pursuits, especially those resulting in death or injury, always gain media attention, and police are keen to reassure the public that every care has been taken to minimise risk.

 

Acknowledgement of the IOPC data, along with analysis of the circumstances of each incident, is an important part of the ongoing development of police driver training, and they are to be applauded for taking this information on board when setting benchmarks for driving standards.

 

Clearly, police and other emergency service drivers are required to deal with pressures far beyond those experienced by the average motorist, but those responsible for fleets of civilian business drivers could, nevertheless, learn a thing or two from this approach to training development.

 

It is well publicised that around a third of UK road fatalities involves a driver on a work journey, and yet few employers stop to consider such statistics, or to truly analyse the pressures their own drivers are subjected to on a daily basis. That’s not to say that good intentions are not there. For example, the increasing adoption of telematics by business fleets is an indication that driver behaviour is an area of focus.

 

The emergency services were among the first largescale adopters of vehicle telematics, and the data it yields has proven invaluable in the analysis of the circumstances surrounding certain incidents, helping to prove responsibility.

 

Some businesses may be motivated to adopt telematics in the belief that drivers’ behaviour will improve if they know they are being monitored. However, as is the case with speeding or mobile phone use by drivers, unless penalties or interventions are actually enforced, drivers succumb to complacency and fail to improve.

 

More crucially, telematics data produces an audit trail which could lead to serious consequences for an employer that had access to information about a driver’s history of risky behaviour, but failed to intervene.

 

In our experience at IAM RoadSmart, many businesses do not acknowledge the potential for this kind of accountability, lack the ability to interpret telematics data correctly, or are unaware of the highly effective training interventions that are available for business drivers.

 

Assessment of driver risk, ongoing evaluation of training procedures and development of robust fleet policies are all essential in maximising safety and, with the growing numbers of business drivers, Government policymakers are increasingly acknowledging the role that employers must play in the wider picture of UK road safety. By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News

UK drivers are risking their licences by breaking the speed limit when overtaking, shocking government figures have shown.

 

According to official stats, in 2017 almost 8,000 vehicles were involved in collisions when overtaking – and over half (55%) of these were cars.

 

Safety chiefs are now urging motorists to watch their speed when overtaking to avoid putting themselves and other road users at risk – and avoid getting hit with heavy fines or even losing their licence.

 

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is keen to set aside myths that speeding is acceptable when overtaking another vehicle.

 

“The common-sense message is do not overtake unless you are sure you can complete the manoeuvre safely and without causing risk or inconvenience to another road user,” warns an RoSPA spokesman.

 

“Although you should complete an overtaking manoeuvre quickly, never exceed the speed limit for the road.”

 

As rule 125 of the Highway Code states, the speed limit is the absolute maximum you should drive on any particular road. This does not exclude overtaking.

 

Exceeding the speed limit for any reason is dangerous as well as illegal and could see you hit with penalty points, a hefty fine, or even being banned from the roads entirely.

 

While overtaking is, of course, legal, there are strict rules about how and when it is safe to overtake – the most fundamental being that you should only overtake ‘when it is safe and legal to do so’.

 

If you’re caught speeding while overtaking, you could collect a fine up to £2,500 and six points on your licence, depending on your speed and the road you’re caught on.

 

Should you get 12 penalty points or more in any three-year period, you’ll have your licence revoked.  By Graham Hill Thanks To RAC

The number of speeding tickets issued to UK motorists have reached a record level, exceeding 2.1 million in 2018.

 

Figures released by the Home Office reveal that 85% of all motoring offences reported last year were for speeding (2,105,409), which was up by one percentage point on 2017.

 

The year-on-year statistics show that speed limit offences have continued to increase since 2011.

 

Edmund King, president at the AA, said: “Speed kills, so drivers should remember that lower limits on residential roads and are there for a very important reason.

 

“The next Prime Minister can become a champion of road safety, by reversing the cut to cops in cars who not only act as a deterrent, but also catch and penalise those with a heavy right foot.”

 

The latest data on the UK’s fixed penalty notice (FPN) statistics cover offences such as speeding and others such as using a handheld mobile device whilst driving.

 

Punishments can include fines, speed awareness courses and court action.

 

Of all the speeding tickets issued, 97% were captured by speed cameras.

 

The rise in such FPNs has led to some calling for increased speeding limits, but RAC head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, earlier this year, said: “Given that inappropriate speed is still a major factor in collisions, it’s unlikely many motorways in the UK are suited to an 80mph limit.

 

“We know a large proportion of drivers already regularly exceed the 70mph limit so there is a danger increasing it would send out the wrong message.”

 

Despite the FPNs rising for speeding offences, there has been a decrease for mobile phone usage.

 

In 2018, 38,600 FPNs were issued to those who offended, which is a drastic reduction on the 53,000 issued during 2017.

 

King, however, believes the reduction is not a result of drivers following rules and regulations, but a sign that a lack of police presence is to blame.

 

He continued “We must not be complacent as often drivers are still spotted using phones at the wheel.

 

“Only a fifth of drivers say there is a visible police presence on their local roads, so a more prominent presence would help to deter the use of hand-held mobiles and texting at the wheel.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Almost two-thirds (63%) of drivers break the speed limit at 4am, with Sunday the most

common day of the week for speeding, new research suggests.

 

The data, obtained from the Department for Transport by price comparison site MoneySuperMarket, reveals that more than half of vehicles exceed the speed limit on a Sunday (53%), with Saturday coming in a close second (52%).

 

By comparison, drivers are most likely to abide by the law on a Wednesday, when less than half (47%) exceed the limit.

 

In terms of the time of day, motorists are most likely to exceed the speed limit during the early hours of the morning, with 63% doing so between 4am and 5am, when the roads are clearer. Conversely, between 3pm and 5pm is the time when the speed limit is most likely to be obeyed (55%).

 

Rachel Wait, consumer affairs spokesperson at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Our findings suggest that drivers are looking to take advantage of emptier roads on weekends and in the early hours, but it is important to remember that there are still major safety rules to abide by, no matter what time it is.”

 

The research also found that Yorkshire and the Humber (10%) are twice as likely to have been convicted as those in London and Northern Ireland (both 5%).

 

The study also analysed drivers’ reasons for speeding, with most saying they simply were not paying attention to their speed (42%). In addition, four in 10 drivers say they were running late (40%), while 17% did it out of habit.

 

Previous research has shown that there is a disparity in the number of drivers detected for speeding offences suggesting a postcode lottery, according to Home Office figures.

 

In 2017-18, research by the RAC Foundation revealed that 1,191 road users were caught speeding in Wiltshire compared with 199,337 in Avon and Somerset, 167 times more.

 

Analysis of the figures by Dr Adam Snow for the RAC Foundation, showed that 2,292,536 speeding offences were detected across England and Wales in 2017-18, a 4% rise on the 2,213,257 figure for the previous year (2016-17).

 

Of these detections: 44% resulted in the offender being sent on a speed awareness course; 34% attracted fixed penalty notices (FPN); 11% were later cancelled; and 10% resulted in court action.

 

Most common days for speeding

 

Day of the week		Percentage of vehicles exceeding the speed limit
Sunday		53.23%
Saturday		51.96%
Monday		47.86%
Friday		47.24%
Tuesday		47.03%
Thursday		46.91%
Wednesday		46.91%

 

By Graham Hill With Thanks To Fleet News

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps is apparently set to finally agree to increase the speed limit to 80mph. The issue has caused disagreement from all quarters over the years resulting in the decision being kicked into the long grass. But the entrance of a new argument has caused the issue to be raised again and look like the new limit may finally be adopted.

 

The new entrant into the equation is the increase in electric cars now using the motorways. One of the main reasons for not adopting the increased speed limit was the amount of extra CO2 spewed out by petrol and diesel cars at higher speeds. But this argument falls away as electric cars increase.

 

The other major argument is safety. The public and safety groups fear that accidents will increase if the limit is increased. But this ignores the fact that our motorways are the safest roads in the UK whilst being the fastest so the logical conclusion is that speed cannot be the biggest contributing factor to accidents.

 

Motorways are built for high speed, they are generally better maintained, straighter with fewer hills to climb. So an increase of 10mph will make motorways no more dangerous. Accidents on motorways are more often down to weather conditions such as snow, ice, fog, rain and wind rather than driving too fast.

 

Modern cars have masses of safety equipment fitted, set to increase next year as a result of EU rules making it compulsory for more safety equipment to be fitted as standard next year. The real problem is poor driving competency, driving too close to cars in front, how to handle aquaplaning and which way to steer when the rear tyres lose all grip.

 

With new smart motorways doing away with hard shoulders and even those with hard shoulders confusing drivers who are unaware of the rules if you break down, safety campaigners should concentrate on education rather than fighting an increase in speed limit. Over to you Mr Shapps – let’s get this done?  By Graham Hill

Yes they do! It’s all well and good having a car that sweeps you up to 60 miles per hour in 4 seconds but that’s no good if you can’t stop the bloody thing. OK, it may not be that bad but tests carried out by various car magazines have revealed some surprising results.

 

In the first place an electric car doesn’t have an engine, it has an electric motor but add in the bank of batteries and the weight shoots up making an equivalent EV much heavier that takes longer to stop even with upgraded brakes.

 

The next factor is the rolling resistance of the tyres. In order to maximise the efficiency of the car it must be fitted with as low rolling resistance tyres as possible. Unfortunately, this means that whilst some low rolling resistance tyres have very good grip they don’t tend to be as good as those fitted as standard to petrol and diesel cars.

 

Tyre technology improves constantly so the EV car manufacturers are expecting the situation to improve as new tyres developed specifically for just EV’s are launched.

 

Finally, there is the regenerating braking technology that takes unused energy that would normally be lost and transfers it back to the battery. These systems can be set in such a way as to slow the car down as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator. This can give the feeling of not braking so aggressively when you apply the brake.

 

However, this should not affect the braking in an emergency braking situation. Clearly, more work needs to be done here! By Graham Hill

As we see a mass push to turn motorways with hard shoulders into Smart Motorways, Highways England has revealed the costs to motorists.

 

Each camera on new “smart” sections of Britain’s motorways is expected to rack up £600,000 in fines every year.

 

Disobedient drivers will be slapped with £100 fines and three penalty points under the controversial new system being laid out by road chiefs.

 

So many motorists are expected to be pounded by the punishment that police are recruiting more staff to deal with the extra workload.

 

One of Britain’s biggest police forces, Thames Valley, is taking on an extra 15 civilians to process all the fines expected when Highways England switches on the smart sections of the M4 and M40 later this year.

 

The move has prompted complaints that drivers are being milked for cash under the new system.

 

Smart sections use variable speed limits and the hard shoulder as an extra lane during busy periods to control traffic and improve safety.

 

There have already been calls for smart motorways to be scrapped after four people were killed on one stretch of the M1 as there was no safe place to stop.

 

AA president Edmund King said: “If more resources were put into making the gantry signs accurate and the variable speeds right for the conditions, you might not need more resources for enforcement.

 

“Accurate technology and more consistent and appropriate speed limits would actually reduce the levels of fines.

 

“Any ‘income’ from fines should go into making these roads safer by sorting technology and doubling the number of lay-bys.”

 

The huge numbers expected to be caught by the automatic cameras – either for breaking the speed limit or straying into lanes that have been temporarily closed with a red ‘X’ gantry sign – are revealed in a report by Thames Valley police.

 

It said of the smart motorways which will be introduced later in the year: “It is anticipated that the M40 and M4 will each capture 30,000 infringements per year.”

 

A Highways England spokesman said: “There are around 150 speed camera sites on smart motorways; normally one between each junction.

 

“They are clearly signed and are bright yellow for visibility. The vast majority of drivers on smart motorways drive within the speed limit.”

 

There are already more than 200 miles of smart motorway in the UK, including London, Birmingham and the North.

 

Advice by Highways England reported in the Sun is as follows:

 

 How to safely drive on a smart motorway

Highways England gives the following advice when driving on a smart motorway:

• Never drive under a red “X”
• Keep to the speed limit shown on the gantries
• A solid white line indicates the hard shoulder – don’t drive in it unless directed
• A broken white line indicates a normal running lane
• Use the refuge areas for emergencies if there’s no hard shoulder
• Put your hazard lights on if you break down

 

By Graham Hill and the help of The Sun.

The Road Vehicles Registration and Licensing (Amendment) Regulations 2017 came into force on May 6, 2017 and drivers abroad and fleet operators, who may have either ignored them or were unaware of them would be wise to take note of them.

 

As we prepare to exit the EU it is likely we will see the Europeans take a tougher position when UK drivers are found to commit motoring offences.

 

The regulations require the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to provide details of the registered keeper of vehicles alleged to have been involved in certain motoring offences across the EU.

 

The details include name, address and date of birth; or legal status if the keeper is not an individual, as well as the make/model and chassis number of the relevant vehicle.

 

The alleged offences include failure to stop at a red light, drink-driving or driving under the influence of drugs, speeding and using a mobile phone while driving.

 

Cross-border EU prosecutions for road offences have been unusual, rare even, but these regulations may change that situation for the better from a road safety point of view.

 

Of course, for employers, there’s the risk that they have simply added another layer of bureaucracy to operations, as well as opening employees to the risk of a foreign prosecution for offences they may deny having committed.

 

In real terms, there are some business considerations for those with a European reach. One of these could be the requirement to engage with foreign justice systems – language barriers and cultural differences may present a challenge, for example.

 

Larger operators may have been able to task in-house legal teams with managing this role, but smaller players may need to find external support – and, of course, this will come at a cost.

 

Another consideration is the interplay between employee relations and the regulations.

 

Businesses will need to ensure their employment contracts and handbooks are up to date, and that their procedures for managing employees accused/convicted of criminal offences abroad are adequate.

 

Operators should also consider their position with regards to supporting (or otherwise) accused employees with legal assistance – especially if a guilty verdict would have a significant impact on the employee’s ability to continue in their role.

 

For those travelling abroad in their own cars, it is important to have insurance cover in the case of a foreign prosecution. Not all insurance policies, even with legal cover, will defend the insured whilst abroad. Check with your insurer. By Graham Hill with thanks to Fleet News.

Tyre technology is improving constantly with some tyres even able to generate electricity that can be used to re-charge the battery. But what about the important factors like fuel efficiency, grip and road noise?

 

Whilst a budget or mid-range brand may save you a few pounds do you know what you may be giving up in terms of safety or fuel-efficiency. Budget tyres seem to fare poorly in terms of road noise but do they? The tyre markings can tell you a lot.

 

My thanks to Tyre Shopper for their Guide to EU Tyre Labels:

 

All new tyres we supply for cars, vans and 4x4s come with EU Tyre Labels.

 

The labels, mandated in 2012, provide information to help buyers make an informed tyre choice. The labelling covers fuel efficiency, braking distance in wet road conditions, and exterior noise.

 

Tyres that don’t have the EU tyre labels include off-road, vintage, spare, studded, racing tyres and those with a speed limit of up to 80km/h.

 

Why do we need EU tyre labels?

 

EU tyre labels are designed to help drivers who regularly take motorway trips or travel long trips in different weather conditions, to know how well their tyres can handle poor road conditions.

 

What do EU tyre labels look like?

 

The tyre rating labels are shown in their respective sections below with more information each.

1 – Fuel Efficiency

 

Tyres have a fuel efficiency rating from A (most fuel-efficient) to G (least fuel efficient).

 

The better the fuel efficiency, the lower the cost of motoring and the less harmful Carbon Dioxide pumped into the atmosphere.

 

Choosing A-rated tyres over G-rated tyres equates to a 7.5% saving in fuel.

 

An A-rated tyre may use 80 litres less fuel each year (over £110) compared to when using G-rated tyres. This estimate is based on a petrol engine covering 10,000 miles at a cost of £1.40 for every litre of petrol.

 

Rolling resistance

Tyres indirectly use a fifth of their fuel consumption due to something called ‘rolling resistance’. This is the friction created when the tyres touch the road. Each tyre has a different amount of rolling resistance depending on its shape and composition. They use less fuel and cost less to own.

 

2 – Wet Grip & Braking Distances

 

Tyres struggle to grip the road to slow down in wet road conditions, so manufacturers change tyre patterns to improve braking times and reduce the chance of aquaplaning.

 

Tyres are rated for their combined wet grip and braking distance rating – how long it takes for the vehicle to come to a complete stop in wet road conditions.

 

All-weather tyres can be used when weather is poor for many weeks and we stock a range of these to suit many types of vehicles.

 

The EU tyre labels helps drivers choose the tyre with the shortest stopping distance.

 

Braking distance variation between each wet weather tyre rating from A to G, equates to 3-6 metres. The maximum benefit is 18 metres shorter braking distance based on driving at 50mph in wet road conditions when choosing A-rated tyres over G-rated ones.

 

3 – External Noises

 

External noise emissions measure the decibels (dB) created outside the vehicle when that tyre is used in normal driving conditions.

 

The tyre noise rating label displays either one, two or three audio waves, with the number of decibels shown as a number.

 

• One wave – three decibels or more under the current noise legislation.
• Two waves – an acceptable noise level for current and future noise legislation.
• Three waves – a tyre that will meet current noise mandated levels, but will fail future limits and need changing in the future.

 

Are the labels standardised across tyre brands?

 

Whether you’re looking at Michelin, Continental or other tyre brands, the label information can be compared side-by-side.

 

This includes the mid-range brands and budget brands. I remember the days when the now premium brand Hankook was a budget brand.

 

And whilst Nanking are a budget brand could they be going the same way as Hankook, they certainly don’t seem to be far behind when you check the labels.

 

One final thought. If you have a car on a lease or PCP and intend handing the car back at the end of the agreement check to see if they stipulate the tyres to be fitted when it comes to replacing them.

 

You don’t want to be forking out for more new tyres when handing the car back because you haven’t complied with the contract.

 

All cars must now be fitted with tyre pressure monitors but you shouldn’t simply rely upon the accuracy of the monitors and stop checking tyre pressures on a regular basis. Having improperly inflated tyres not only has safety and cost consequences you could end up with points and a fine.

 

It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that tyres are in proper condition and penalties for offences are very severe. The penalties for having illegal tyres are currently up to a £2500 fine and 3 penalty points PER TYRE. Two faulty tyres could cost six penalty points, loss of license and a £5000 fine!

 

Apart from the requirements regarding tyre wear, tread depth, damaged sidewalls, etc, the tyres must be correctly inflated. Regulation 27 section b states “the tyre is not so inflated as to make it fit for the use to which the motor vehicle or trailer is put”. This definition is not very helpful, but correct tyre pressures are vital for safe handling and optimum braking, grip and tyre life.

 

Low tyre pressures

Cause increased fuel consumption, more air pollution, shorter tyre life and greater risk of tyre failure.

 

High tyre pressures

Cause reduced comfort, less grip, greater risk of impact tyre damage and reduced stability in braking and cornering.

 

By Graham Hill