Proposed tire label could improve gas savings

— -- The government on Thursday proposed a simplified new tire label that would show potential gas savings for buyers of that tire, as well as safety and tread life ratings.

Making sure consumers know which tires are the best gas savers could take up to a 2% whack out of the 135 billion gallons of fuel the nation consumes every year, estimates the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

With gas prices rising again, the new labels could accelerate a growing marketing war among tiremakers when it comes to touting "low rolling resistance," the measure for tire fuel savings.

"Today's proposal takes the guesswork out of buying the best tires for your vehicle," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement. "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 removable label would be affixed to the tire, but since many consumers never see replacement tires that go on their cars, it would be available online, as well. NHTSA already has lots of tire information on its SaferCar.gov website.

One of the main trade organizations for the tire industry, the Rubber Manufacturers Association, hasn't taken a stand yet on the proposed federal rule, but supports the idea in concept.

"This is approaching an outcome that we would like to see, which is that consumers have useful information about tire fuel efficiency," association spokesman Dan Zielinski said.

The federal move comes a week after a state tire-labeling effort in California, which the association opposes as overly bureaucratic and costly.

The simplified labels have the blessings of an environmental group that has followed the effort. "Armed with efficiency ratings, consumers can choose replacement tires that can cut the gasoline consumption of their current car, minivan, SUV or pickup and save money with fewer trips to the pump," said Luke Tonachel, vehicle analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council in a blog note.