RMA petitions NHTSA to adopt reserve inflation pressure for passenger tires

WASHINGTON (July 19)—The Rubber Manufacturers Association petitioned federal highway safety officials July 19 to adopt a new safety regulation requiring motor vehicle tires to have a reserve inflation pressure. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's final rule on tire pressure monitoring systems issued June 5 does not require the monitors to notify drivers of a pressure loss until they are 25 to 30 percent underinflated. The RMA said it is concerned that many tires could reach "an unsafe condition" well before the warning light goes on. In its petition, the RMA is proposing auto makers be required to recommend an inflation pressure sufficient to carry the vehicle load even at pressure losses as great as 30 percent. "Our goal with this petition is to improve the government's tire pressure monitoring system rule so that it promotes safety," RMA President Donald B. Shea said in a news release. "A tire pressure monitoring system can be an effective safety tool for motorists only if it provides a timely warning to consumers."