Ice Grip Symbol on Tire Sidewall

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In addition to the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake Symbol on tires, there is also a Ice Grip symbol. I am not sure if this IceGrip symbol is required in the USA.


DAYTON, Tenn. – For the first time this winter season, the Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta 10 and R5 passenger, SUV and EV tires will be produced with a new ice grip symbol that indicates they have been subjected to rigorous testing on icy surfaces, according to standards established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Consumers in North America may start seeing the symbol on their tires’ sidewalls as soon as this winter.

To be eligible for the ice grip marking, the tires’ ice performance was verified through an internationally agreed-upon ice braking test by an accredited independent test laboratory. Tires had to perform at least 18 percent better than a standard reference tire to receive the symbol.

IceGripSymbol.jpg
 
Whoever has the most "stickers" wins. :)

Tires had to perform at least 18 percent better than a standard reference tire to receive the symbol.
Curious to know what this standard reference tire was. Was it an all-season tire? A winter tire? Just trying to gauge whether achieving an 18% improvement is a big deal...
 
For 118 CHF one can buy the standard here:


I bet it has at least reference to another standard that defines the reference tire.
;-)

Krzyś
 
It may be the same standard tire used elsewhere:

  • ASTM F2493, Standard Specification for P225/60R16 97S Radial Standard Reference Test Tire

And that may mean that it is not that hard.

Krzyś
 
It may be the same standard tire used elsewhere:

  • ASTM F2493, Standard Specification for P225/60R16 97S Radial Standard Reference Test Tire

And that may mean that it is not that hard.

Krzyś
Right, in which case any manufacturer that is willing to pay for the testing can have that new triangle on their winter tire, so it won't be much of a differentiator.
 
funny thing is that the new nokian R5 non studded winter tire has a similar thread pattern to the continental vikingcontact 7. a tire that was a the top of many tests since it's release. there is no doubt nokian is still tops in the studded winter tire category, but in the non studded winter tire category, other tire makers have closed the gap in performance. especially michelin, bridgestone and continental.
 
From the US Federal Register, dated October 5, 2021

...ASTM International has developed an updated specification for an SRTT designated F2493 (16-inch SRTT). The 16-inch SRTT is size P225/60R16. The 16-inch SRTT is considered to be more representative of current tires because of its larger size and new material and design features that lead to traction that is more typical of modern passenger car tires.[9] To the best of NHTSA's knowledge, the 16-inch SRTT is manufactured only by Michelin and sold under its Uniroyal brand...

 
funny thing is that the new nokian R5 non studded winter tire has a similar thread pattern to the continental vikingcontact 7. a tire that was a the top of many tests since it's release. there is no doubt nokian is still tops in the studded winter tire category, but in the non studded winter tire category, other tire makers have closed the gap in performance. especially michelin, bridgestone and continental.
Closed the gap they have, but the Hakka are still at the top in heavy snow!!!
 
I think others closed the gap when it was found that Nokian provided doctored tires for tests.


Krzys
 
....Just trying to gauge whether achieving an 18% improvement is a big deal...
It sets the bar higher for ice traction than the 3-Peak symbol does for snow traction, which requires only a 10% improvement relative to the reference tire.
 
I'm not super worried about heavy snow, AWD with an e-locker can get you pretty much anywhere, it's ice that's my biggest concern, especially black ice.
For sure. No defence against basically an invisible enemy. You never know though, maybe someday they'll come up with an advance warning black ice sensor.
 
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