Proposed federal rules will mandate more comprehensive labeling on tires. The new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration label will rate tires’ fuel efficiency/gas greenhouse rating, tread ware, as well as the traction they get on wet roads.

The L.A. Times reports:

The new three-tiered rating system will also be accessible at safercar.gov so consumers can do some comparison shopping before going to the tire store. The information would also be displayed on posters in tire shops.

“Today’s proposal takes the guesswork out of buying the best tires for your vehicle,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Our proposal would let consumers look at a single label and compare a tire’s overall performance as it relates to fuel economy, safety and durability.”

The proposed label will now be open to public comment before a final rule is issued. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 required NHTSA to adopt a final tire-label rule by December 2009.

All the NHTSA’s work is for naught, however, because Back to the Future Part II teaches us most cars will be hovercraft-equipped by 2015, rendering tire durability obsolete.

Feds roll out consumer-friendly tire label rules [Los Angeles Times]
(Photo: afagen)

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