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For more information contact:
Dan Zielinski
(202) 682-4846
dzielinski@rma.org
TIRE MAKERS WANT SAFER STANDARD FOR TIRE PRESSURE MONITORS
Proposal Falls Short of Goal to Improve Consumer Safety and May Increase Tire Failure Risk
RMA TPMS Comments - 11/10/04
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 10, 2004 - Citing serious safety concerns, tire manufacturers today registered strong opposition to a proposed federal regulation
mandating tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) on all light vehicles. The Rubber Manufacturers Association, a trade group that represents tire makers,
said the proposed rule does not meet the government’s stated goal of improving consumer safety and instead may increase the risk of tire failures.
Donald B. Shea, RMA president and CEO, said that tire makers want an effective TPMS rule that promotes safety. “Our intent is to work with NHTSA to get this
regulation right and to get it done soon,” he said.
In written comments filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), RMA said it “strongly supports NHTSA’s effort to promulgate a final
TPMS standard that maximizes consumer safety.” However, RMA added that it “opposes the proposed rule in its entirety because it does not satisfy
Congressional intent to mandate a TPMS that provides adequate warning to consumers when a tire is significantly under-inflated.”
The proposed rule would mandate that every car, SUV, pickup truck and minivan be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system that warns drivers when
tire pressure is 25 percent below the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended inflation pressure.
RMA says that a 25 percent drop in a tire’s recommended pressure may leave the tire so under-inflated that it is unable to carry a fully-loaded vehicle safely.
Under NHTSA’s proposed standard, motorists could be driving for thousands of miles on tires that are appreciably under-inflated but still not receive a
warning. Driving on under-inflated tires causes excessive heat buildup in tires that, over time, can result in damage that can cause tire failure.
“Safety should be the overriding priority for this regulation,” Shea said. “A tire pressure monitor that doesn’t provide a timely low-pressure warning to
motorists will not enhance safety.”
Shea added that even with tire pressure monitors, consumers should continue to check tire pressure once a month and before long trips. “A tire pressure
monitoring system is meant to supplement, not replace, regular tire maintenance by consumers,” Shea said.
Consumer survey data conducted by RMA in 2003 found that nearly two-thirds of U.S. motorists would be less likely to regularly check tire pressure with a
TPMS-equipped vehicle. Other RMA research shows that 85 percent of drivers do not properly check tire pressure.
“A TPMS that fails to warn motorists before tires are operated in an unsafe condition plus a decrease in regular tire maintenance may increase the risk of
tire failure,” Shea said.
RMA also noted other deficiencies with the proposed TPMS regulation. The proposal does not require a TPMS to work under many real-world driving conditions
or to issue a malfunction alert when operated under these environments. Specifically, the TPMS is not required to be tested to ensure that it functions
under the following conditions: at speeds above 63 mph; at temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or above 104 degrees Fahrenheit; on wet, snow or
ice-covered roads; on secondary roads; during turning maneuvers and; during braking maneuvers.
Additionally, the proposed rule does not require a TPMS to work with full-size spare tires or replacement tires – those that replace the original tires on a
new vehicle.
Finally, RMA says that the rule has inadequate requirements to explain TPMS limitations in vehicle owner’s manuals. “Rather than reinforcing the
consumer’s responsibility to ensure that the vehicle’s tires are properly inflated, it enhances the risk that consumers will neglect routine tire
maintenance in reliance on this system,” the group wrote. “In short, it is contrary to NHTSA’s mission to promote highway safety to promulgate a TPMS
standard that may create a false sense of security among consumers about an issue as important as tire inflation pressure.”
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The Rubber Manufacturers Association is the national trade association for the rubber products industry. Its members include more than 100 companies
that manufacture various rubber products, including tires, hoses, belts, seals, molded goods, and other finished rubber products. RMA members employ
over 120,000 workers and account for more than $21 billion in annual sales.
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