ETRMA welcomes EU General Road Safety Regulation

The ETRMA has welcomed the endorsement of the new General Safety Regulation compromise agreement of 25 March by EU co-legislators. The European Parliament IMCO Committee endorsed the proposal for revising the General Safety Regulation on 2 April 2019. This regulation updates existing rules on vehicle safety by introducing new important elements into EU legislation, such as the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) for light and heavy commercial vehicles, trailers and buses.

ETRMA secretary general, Fazilet Cinaralp said: “This is an important move towards safer roads and lower energy consumption. The tyre pressure monitoring system permits tyres to perform much closer to their optimum in real time making our roads safer and our vehicles more energy efficient. TPMS has been mandatory in the EU for passenger cars since 2014 and the inclusion of commercial vehicles is an important step forward.”

TPMS does not exonerate driver from checks

While a tyre pressure monitoring system with the correct choice of warning threshold can help to ensure optimal performance and reduced fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and general pollutant emissions, the ETRMA makes the point that it does not exonerate the driver from doing tyres’ inflation pressure checks. This is because it only warns the driver if the inflation pressure is below the level required to carry the axle load of the vehicle according to tyre industry standards. Drivers driving with maximum cargo loads or exceptional loads must therefore ensure the tyre pressure is adjusted to the higher load capacity. European tyre producers continue to emphasise the importance of purchasing the best performing tyres for different operating conditions and proper tyre maintenance, the association adds

Cinaralp added: “Driving with tyres at the right pressure is of paramount importance for vehicle safety, since only properly inflated tyres hold the load, adhere to the road, consume less fuel, produce less noise, ensure the best braking distance and lengthen tyre lifespan.”

According to market surveys, heavy-duty vehicles drive 40-65 per cent of their distance travelled on underinflated tyres and 10-25 per cent on tyres underinflated by more than 10 per cent. Another independent analysis shows that the savings in CO2 emissions of light- and heavy-duty vehicles, when tyre inflation pressure is at the required level, are close to those of passenger cars. Consequently, there is as great of an incentive to also fit light- and heavy-duty vehicles with a TPMS.

Cinaralp concluded: “TPMS responds to the important societal demands for safe and sustainable solutions in the transport sector and we are very pleased that this technology can support both objectives.”