This simple change in EU regulations will extend the lifespan of car tyres

PARIS: The updated European regulation R117-04 on tyres provides for greater safety and respect for the environment, as well as protecting motorists' purchasing power. The idea is to enable motorists to change worn tyres less frequently.

The R117-04 regulation update focuses on the performances of worn tyres, not just those of new models.

In fact, it introduces a wet braking test that evaluates the distance needed to decelerate from 80kph to 20kph.

Normally applied to new tyres, this test can now be used to assess the safety of worn tyres down to the legal wear limit of 1.6 mm tread depth.

This decision supports the idea that a good-quality worn tyre does not necessarily need to be replaced.

Indeed, according to Michelin, 50% of tyres are removed before reaching 3 mm of residual tread depth. On a global scale, this corresponds to 400 million tyres scrapped prematurely every year.

Still according to the French manufacturer, the introduction of the R117-04 regulation could lead demand for new tyres in Europe to fall by 128 million units a year, corresponding to a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 6.6 million tonnes.

On a global scale, this kind of regulation could prevent up to 35 million tonnes of CO2 from being released into the air, equivalent to six months of emissions from a city like New York.

For the consumer, it also means changing car tyres less frequently, making them more cost-effective long-term. Michelin estimates this saving at almost €7 billion (RM36bil) a year throughout the European Union.