Tyres should be safer, quieter and more fuel efficient after the European Parliament voted to introduce a raft of regulations from 2012.

Further regulations are also being considered for tyre labelling, which would give fleet managers a clearer idea about the road-grip, fuel efficiency and noise levels of products.

Mike Welch, managing director of tyre retailer blackcircles.com, said: “Labelling will arm customers with more knowledge and lead to greater competition between tyre brands, which can only be good news for the consumer.”

But, while the fleet industry deals with an unprecedented increase in the price of tyres, Peter Fairlie, group sales director at ATS Euromaster, suggested its customers were already benefitting from the latest advancements available.

Welcoming the new rules, which he described as a “positive innovation”, he said: “Our principle offer to the fleet market is already based around Michelin's lowest rolling resistance tyres and we will continue to work with both manufacturers and customers to provide the safest and most fuel-efficient tyres.”