Michelin admits changing car tyres too often harms the environment

PARIS: French tyre manufacturer Michelin has come up with some unusual advice for motorists who it says can save money and reduce air pollution and wastage at the same time.

Michelin advises drivers to let their car tyres wear down to the 1.6 mm, which is the legal limit in most countries, rather than changing them too early.

According to a Michelin study, 50% of tyres are removed before reaching a residual depth of 3 mm even though they are still roadworthy. On a global scale, this means that 400 million tyres are scrapped prematurely every year.

The company said drivers should not focus alone on tyre tread depth since the various tyre architecture used by makers means that not all tyres are created equal. In some case, a rubber with more tread is not necessarily safer than one with less.

The appeal follows the introduction of new regulation in the European Union in July that worn car tyres should perform just as well in wet conditions as new ones.

The legislation requires all new car tyres to deliver a high level of performance all the way down to 1.6 mm of tread remaining so that safety is not at stake. Experts say 1.6 mm is essential to move 1 mm of surface water from a rain soaked road.

Keeping tyres for longer will also allow for protecting consumers’ purchasing power, says Michelin. This meant nearly €7 billion (US$7.4 billion) could be saved by European motorists every year.

Michelin said the application of the regulation will also influence the demand for new tyres in Europe, which could be reduced by 128 million units a year per annum, leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 6.6 million metric tons.