The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently issued tire performance standards, the first in more than 30 years, that are weaker than those in the agency’s original proposal, which met resistance from industry. Congress, following the recall of millions of Firestone tires with tread separation problems, mandated these new requirements as part of the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act of 2000. The new standards:

• Require tires to undergo a low inflation pressure test. This seeks to ensure a minimum level of performance safety in tires when they are under-inflated to 20 pounds per square inch -- the minimum level of inflation at which tire pressure warnings must be activated.
• Mandate high speed and endurance tests. These measures are tougher than what is currently required, but less stringent than what was suggested in the proposal. In particular, the proposal called for a longer high-speed endurance test.

NHTSA, having received adverse comments from industry groups, did not include a number of requirements suggested in the proposal, such as:

• A provision to address the deterioration of tire performance caused by aging;
• Road hazard impact tests, which simulate a tire impacting a road hazard, such as a pothole or curb; and
• Modifications to the current “bead unseating” test, which is designed to evaluate how well a tire remains on the rim during turning maneuvers.

The agency also pushed back the effective date of these standards -- giving manufacturers four years to comply, instead of a two or three-year timetable as suggested in the proposal. The requirements apply to nearly all tires for use on vehicles under 10,000 pounds. OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) altered NHTSA’s rule during its review, but the nature of these changes is unknown. A year ago, OIRA forced NHTSA to weaken a standard to guard against under-inflated tires, which are linked to numerous deaths each year.