NHTSA 'busily engaged' on TREAD Act regs—Runge

WASHINGTON (Feb. 4)—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "can't give a date" as to when overdue regulations mandated under the Transportation Recall Efficiency, Accountability and Documentation Act will appear. But it will be soon, according to NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge. "This administration swore all regulations it issued would be cost-effective, and we're busily engaged in doing that," Runge said. The catastrophe on Sept. 11 set back rulemaking by "a couple of months, but no more," he added. One rule of particular interest to the tire industry—the final rule on tire pressure monitoring device requirements—was supposed to be issued in November, according to the deadline set by Congress in the TREAD Act. Runge spoke at the Transportation Department budget briefing, at which it was revealed that NHTSA would have a $430 million budget for fiscal year 2003, compared with $428 for fiscal year 2002.