NHTSA must do "technically viable" rewrite of tire rule, Shea urges

WASHINGTON (Sept. 27)—In the "frantic rush" to strengthen and modernize the current federal tire safety standard, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration must be careful to produce a workable new rule, according to the president of the Rubber Manufacturers Association. "Care must be taken to provide solutions that are doable, technically viable, and will indeed accomplish the desired results," Donald B. Shea wrote in a Sept. 26 letter to NHTSA Administrator Sue Bailey. The agency granted the RMA´s petition last year to begin work on a tire rule which incorporates the best practices from all over the world, Shea noted. He also proposed a meeting between Bailey and tire industry executives "as soon as possible."