Declaration on Better Tyres
Regular paper
DCMR EPA
Wednesday 3 june, 2015, 16:40 - 17:00
0.8 Rome (118)
Abstract:
Almost 50% of residents in European cities are exposed to noise levels above
55 dB and nearly 15% of residents are exposed to noise levels higher than 65%.
One third of people living in urban areas are exposed to concentrations of air
pollutants above European and/or National limits. In total 31.500 people were
killed in 2010 in traffic accidents. One third of these accidents happen in
urban areas. In general it could be stated that in urban areas, traffic is the
largest contributor of CO2, which as we know, leads to global warming. These
facts, especially the noise burden in urban areas, was the reason for Working
Group Noise EUROCITIES and the Dutch ministry of Infrastructure and
Environment to draft a Declaration on Better Tyres. Better Tyres are less
noisy, safer and less energy consuming. The Declaration invites European
cities and towns to include the use of better tyres in their green procurement
policies in order to provide their municipal car fleet with better tyres when
replacing tyres or when buying or leasing vehicles. By signing the declaration
signatories commit themselves to do so and also to promote the use of better
tyres towards companies, citizens and other institutes in their jurisdiction.
By changing to better tyres not only the environment and health of citizens
will be improved but also their financial resources because applying better
tyres give a good return of investment.