European legislators compromise on tire noise regulations

BRUSSELS, Belgium (April 5)—European legislators have agreed to a compromise on tire noise regulations, which would cut noise limits by 1 decibel instead of the 2 decibels the European Parliament previously proposed. The deal brokered recently in Strasbourg, France, between the European Parliament and the European Council of Ministers also acknowledges industry calls for the legislation to consider safety and environmental factors. "When setting rolling noise requirements, it must not be forgotten that tires are designed taking safety and environmental parameters into account and that any constraint on one parameter can affect the others," the parliament noted. Parliament and council agreed to review the new limit values within 36 months of the directive´s effective date.