October 1 is the cut-off date: from this date onwards, only tires with an "S" marking on the sidewall may be sold. This abbreviation stands for "Sound" and indicates that the tire complies with the noise limits set out in ECE Directive 117.



In practice, however, there are some restrictions to this rule that car buyers and garages should be aware of. For example, the ban on the sale of passenger car tires initially only applies to formats less than 185 millimeters wide. Wider tires - i.e. between 185 and 215 millimeters - may still be sold until September 30, 2010, and those over 215 millimeters wide until September 30, 2011.



However, there is an exception for tires without the "S" marking. They may continue to be sold if they comply with ECE-R 117, the tire manufacturer can prove this with a certificate and the tire was produced in the 40th calendar week of 2009 - i.e. this week - at the latest.



Attention consumer trap: For tires without an "S", the customer should check whether the desired product meets these requirements. The tire dealer or car dealership should be able to show him the certificate at the time of purchase. The production date is encoded in the so-called DOT number on the sidewall. For example: "DOT 3909" means that the tire was produced in the 39th calendar week of 2009.



"kfz-betrieb" is the most widely read trade magazine in the automotive industry and has been informing the automotive trade and service for 98 years. "kfz-betrieb" is the official organ of the German Motor Trade (ZDK), the professional lobby for around 40,000 car dealerships and workshops. Daily news from the entire automotive industry is available at www.kfz-betrieb.de and in the daily newsletter. The parent company Vogel Business Media is one of the leading German providers of specialist information with around 100 trade journals and 60 websites as well as numerous international activities. Its headquarters are in Würzburg.