From the 30th May 2012 you may start to see the new labels appearing on your car tires, and from 1st November 2012, they will become a legal requirement on all tires sold in the... moreFrom the 30th May 2012 you may start to see the new labels appearing on your car tires, and from 1st November 2012, they will become a legal requirement on all tires sold in the European Union. Tire manufacturers have welcomed the new tire labeling laws as it will better inform tire consumers of three crucial performance characteristics. The new labels will give information about fuel consumption, wet braking and noise levels. Interestingly, tire manufacturers actually measure many more performance indicators than just the three on the labels - Dunlop track at least 50!One area that concerns tire manufacturers is winter performance. Under the rules that will soon be followed, a strong winter tire could appear weaker than its summer competitors due to increased fuel consumption and noise. However, despite these values increasing, when braking in ice or snow, or climbing a steep hill in colder weather, the winter tires would outperform the summer tires dramatically. It has been proposed that a... less