The future of Budget tyres may be about to change as a result of a new campaign by the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturer's Association (ETRMA). Interestingly, the focus of this campaign is not upon the cost and value elements of budget tyres but on road safety in Europe. The significant point about this new initiative is that it calls for greater monitoring of tyre imports (the source of many budget tyres) to ensure that they comply with the demand for increased road safety and lower environmental impact.

There are a number of specific requirements here, all of which impact greatly upon the quality of any budget tyres imported into EC countries. In particular, the ETRMA is calling for national market surveillance in order to ensure that budget tyres will comply with EC rules for tyre imports, whilst at the same time stressing the need for an effective and timely implementation of the EC's planned tyre labeling programme. It is widely anticipated that these measures will result in better quality budget tyres.

In fact the focus of this campaign is not just upon the quality of any budget tyres that are imported as there is also a demand for improved maintenance of tyres by the motorist. In this respect, the ETRMA will continue to highlight the essential role of all tyres, including budget tyres, in road safety by contributing to the Future Transport Policy and ensuring a commitment to the European Road Safety Charter. In short, budget tyres should in future be of better quality whilst still being offered at a competitive price.

This of course is good news for all motorists, not just those who choose budget tyres, because it will help to improve road safety and reduce accidents which may also have a beneficial effect in related areas such as insurance premiums. Quite apart from the simple availability of better budget tyres, there is an economic benefit to this strategy as it helps to ensure a level playing field between European and Asian manufacturers; facilitating the production of better tyres whilst also reducing harmful emissions.

For the average motorist looking for budget tyres to fit on his or her car, the ETRMA initiative will mean that there will be far less doubt as to the quality, reliability and longevity of budget tyres. At the same time, this will help to curb the importation of low cost 'look alike' tyres which carry the same appearance as many premium brand tyres but are in no way comparable in terms of their performance and safety. The result should be budget tyres that are inexpensive but not inferior. Good news all round in fact.