NHTSA - June 23, 2003
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) today issued new, more stringent performance requirements
that will apply to nearly all new tires for use on vehicles up to 10,000 pounds.
"Without question, these new performance requirements will improve tire safety,"
said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D.
The final rule strengthens the current requirements for high speed and endurance
tests while adding a low-pressure performance test. It also defers action on
other upgrades including new tests for aging and road hazards, and modifications
to the current bead unseating test.
Given the increasing consumer preference for using light trucks for personal
transportation purposes, NHTSA is, for the first time, extending the tire
performance requirements for passenger car tires to LT tires (load range C, D,
and E) used on light trucks (sport utility vehicles, pickups, vans).
Since it is the first substantive change to standards in over 30 years,
manufacturers will be given four years to comply. All covered tires and vehicles
must meet the new standards by Nov. 1, 2006.
Upgraded tire standards were required under the Transportation Recall
Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation Act of 2000 (TREAD).
NHTSA SUMMARY: The Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation Act of 2000 mandates that we conduct a rulemaking proceeding to revise and update our safety performance requirements for tires. In response, we are establishing new and more stringent tire performance requirements that will apply to all new tires for use on light vehicles, i.e., those vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less, except motorcycles and low speed vehicles. The final rule increases the stringency of the existing high speed and endurance tests, defers action on proposals to replace the existing strength test and the bead unseating resistance test with a road hazard impact test and a different bead unseating test, respectively, adds a low pressure performance test, and defers action on a proposal to add an aging test.
Together with new safety information requirements that we recently established for those tires, the new performance requirements will improve tire safety.
DATES: This final rule is effective June 1, 2007. Voluntary compliance is permitted before that date.
For full text of rule: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/UpgradeTire/Final/Index.html