What is the Tire Speed Rating?

Tire speed ratings are simply the maximum amount of miles per hour a tire is rated to handle. These ratings are helpful in European countries where there are no speed limits in some areas. In these sections of road, there is no such thing as speeding, and knowing the limitations of your equipment is very important. Many wrecks along Germany's Autobahn are due to a lack of understanding of a vehicle's limits.
In America, these ratings are still listed on the sidewall of all tires, but tire manufacturers do not advise people to exceed the legal speed limit, no matter what the tire's speed rating may be. The ratings are listed as a safety guide, not an invitation to break local speed limits!