WASHINGTON (Nov. 16)—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's proposed rule on tire pressure monitoring systems is "fatally flawed" and must be rewritten, according to comments to the agency from the Tire Industry Association.
Essentially seconding earlier comments by the Rubber Manufacturers Association, TIA said motorists could be endangered if NHTSA allows tires to fall 25 percent below the vehicle manufacturer's recommended pressure before the warning light comes on.
Like the RMA, TIA also objected to a provision exempting replacement tires from the TPMS rule. "If the agency is serious about public safetyàit is unacceptable to allow a TPMS to not function after a vehicle's tires are replaced," the association said.