Expert's Advice on Safety for Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems

COSTA MESA, Calif., April 24 -- If you are one of more than 21 million drivers who own a vehicle with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), it would be easy to conclude that you don't need to check your tire pressure.

While a TPMS will reduce the chances of a blowout, the vast majority of systems don't provide enough information to let drivers achieve optimum handling and fuel economy in their vehicles.

"Checking tire pressure the old-fashioned way is still important for car safety," according to Tara Baukus, Senior writer for NADAguides.com, a vehicle pricing and buying guide website. "These systems also do nothing to make drivers aware of other tire safety problems, such as uneven wear, cracking in sidewalls or reduced tread, which means a visual inspection is still crucial." See http://www.nadaguides.com/

Approximately 85 percent of 2008 model year vehicles use a basic system that provides only a general safety warning (usually a light on the dashboard) of low tire pressure, according to research by NADAguides.com. About 15 percent of 2008 model year vehicles use a more sophisticated system that provides numerical tire pressure readings linked to each of the vehicle's tires.

While a numerical reading gives the driver more information at his fingertips, the federal standard for all TPMS types requires a safety warning only when tire pressure has dropped 25 percent below the manufacturer's recommended cold tire pressure.

This means the driver of car with a recommended tire pressure of 35 pounds per square inch (or PSI), a common recommendation for many vehicles, would be warned when tire pressure drops to about 26 PSI. Yet research shows that even a slight drop in PSI can compromise a vehicle's handling, especially when it's loaded with passengers or cargo.

What's more, less-than-optimal tire pressure means less-than-optimal fuel economy. A drop of six PSI, for example, translates into a 10 percent decline in fuel economy, even though it often wouldn't trigger a TPMS warning. The only heads-up a driver would get would be at the gas pump - not soon enough for drivers who are projected to be spending 61 cents more per gallon on average this summer.

First appearing on passenger vehicles about ten years ago, TPMSs in one form or another are built into over 21 million vehicles on the road today. Some of the earliest types of systems -- those on 2005 model year vehicles or earlier -- had accuracy issues or caused air to leak from the tire.

Systems improved in 2006, when a federal standard was phased in. About 70 percent of 2007 model year vehicles came equipped with the systems, while all vehicles are required to have a TPMS for 2008 and beyond. While today's TPMS will warn you of significantly low tire pressure that could lead to a blowout or an accident, it's not the finest solution -- nor the only one -- for ensuring optimal vehicle handling and fuel efficiency.

A driver's best tire resource is manual monitoring, the good old-fashioned way. A monthly visual inspection of your tires coupled with the use of a tire gauge to check pressure -- preferably digital versions as these are the most accurate -- remains the best way to make certain your car, truck or SUV is operating safely and economically.