Wet grip classes A to E
Wet grip is the most safety-relevant field on the EU tyre label. It shows how well a tyre brakes on a wet road compared with a standard reference tyre, from A (best) to E.
How it is measured
The supplier brakes a car on wet asphalt, or measures a trailer-mounted tyre, and compares the result with the reference tyre. The ratio is the wet grip index G. For car tyres, class A means G of at least 1.55, B 1.40–1.54, C 1.25–1.39, D 1.10–1.24 and E 1.09 or lower.
What a class means in metres
Using the middle of each class range, this is roughly how far a car stops on a wet road from 80 km/h:
| Class | Share of car tyres | Stopping distance from 80 km/h | Longer than class A |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 11% | ≈ 34 m | — |
| B | 35% | ≈ 37 m | +3 m |
| C | 41% | ≈ 41 m | +7 m |
| D | 11% | ≈ 47 m | +13 m |
| E | 2% | ≈ 52 m | +18 m |
Between A and E the difference is about 18 m, close to the European Commission’s own figure of up to 18 metres. Even one class step matters: A against B is about 3 m, B against C about 4 m. At the point where the A tyre has stopped, the slower-stopping car is still moving.
These are estimates. A real tyre can sit anywhere inside its class range, and braking also depends on the car, the road, the temperature and the tread depth. Our methodology shows the formula.
How common each class is
Most car tyres on sale are B or C. Class A is a minority (11%). Season matters: 17% of summer tyres reach A, but only 3% of winter tyres, which are built for snow and cold rather than wet summer roads.
How to choose
If you drive a lot in rain, wet grip is the field to prioritise. Open the page for your size, such as 205/55 R16: patterns are ranked by wet grip first, and you can see which ones reach A in that exact size. A pattern can be A in one size and B in another.