WASHINGTON—The Tire Industry Association has asked Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Mad., to send a letter of inquiry to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the status of the pending consumer education program under the tire fuel efficiency labeling final rule.
TIA also asked Mikulski to inquire about the funding and methodology of the consumer education program, in light of Tea's advocacy of a public-private partnership for implementing the program.
"We would ask you to encourage NHTSA to partner with TIA," wrote Roy Littlefield, TIA executive vice president, in his March 1 letter. "TIA is the logical choice to develop a program to educate motorists on the proper care and maintenance of tires. No other industry organization can match our experience or record of promoting safety in the tire industry."
TIA has presented itself as the logical third-party administrator of the tire fuel efficiency consumer education program since the final rule was published—minus final language covering consumer education, label content and format, or tire fuel efficiency testing—in March 2010.