Tire monitoring rule due within two weeks, Runge says

WASHINGTON (Feb. 28)—Top officials of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Office of Management and Budget say they´ve reached an agreement in principle on a final rule for tire pressure monitoring devices. The rule should be out in one or two weeks, said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge during hearings today before the House subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. The rule will allow a choice of either direct or indirect monitoring systems on vehicles and a three-year phase-in period to study the effectiveness of those systems. The Rubber Manufacturers Association, however, feels that concentrating on the system itself is beside the point. "If the warning light goes on and the tire pressure is below what can carry the load, it's already too late," an RMA spokesman said during a break in the hearings.