Tire industry petitions feds to change tire monitor rule

July 19, 2002

WASHINGTON -- The AP reported that the tire pressure monitors required by the federal government beginning with the next model year will not always tell drivers when their tires are underinflated and could lead to even more accidents, the tire industry says.

The standard issued last month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration allows tire pressure to drop up to 30 percent below the recommended level before warning the driver.

The problem, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association, is that many manufacturers set the recommended inflation level just above or at the amount needed to safely operate a fully loaded vehicle. A 30 percent drop would be unsafe in many vehicles, it found.

RMA checked 100 vehicles and found that if the inflation level dropped 30 percent, 76 would be running dangerously low if full of passengers and gear.

"The rule is not going to warn motorists when it should and it will create a false sense of security," said Donald Shea, the association's president.

The group did not release the models it checked, but said the problem is generally greater in pickup trucks, minivans, and full-size cars than in smaller cars.

Surveys show few motorists regularly check their tire pressure, and the RMA is concerned even fewer will do so after the rule goes into effect.

RMA plans to file a petition with NHTSA on Friday, requesting that the agency require automakers to set the recommended inflation pressure high enough to carry the vehicle load even if there is a 30 percent drop.

Recommended tire inflation levels are set by automakers -- not the tire manufacturer -- to fit the vehicle's design, suspension system and a full-capacity load. Underinflation causes heat to build up in tires and can lead to hidden damage that causes blowouts and other tire failures.

Congress voted to require tire pressure monitors as part of strengthened tire safety laws passed in response to the recall of millions of Firestone tires, which have been linked to at least 271 deaths and thousands of accidents. Underinflation may have been a factor in some of the accidents.

The original rule written by NHTSA would have required "direct" monitors in each wheel that would alert drivers to low pressure.

At the urging of the automotive industry, the Bush administration pushed the agency to change the rule to allow a less expensive "indirect" system that would work off the antilock braking system.

The final rule allows automakers to use either type for three years. NHTSA will study each system and write a final rule for the monitors installed in vehicles