U.S. to Allow Tests of 2 Tire Warning Systems
The federal government will conduct what amounts to a massive road test of competing dashboard warning systems that alert drivers when their tires get dangerously low on air, Bush administration officials told Congress on Thursday.
The decision, announced at a congressional oversight hearing, appears to resolve a dispute between safety officials and the White House, which had threatened to delay new consumer protections.
Overall, lawmakers said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration still has far to go in carrying out sweeping safety improvements enacted after the deadly spate of Firestone tire failures two years ago. Several major initiatives have encountered problems, although the agency has pledged to resolve them.
Separately Thursday, NHTSA issued proposed regulations to update federal tire safety standards that have not been revised since the 1960s. The new regulations call for more rigorous performance testing that takes into account high-speed driving, under-inflated tires and other factors.
Consumer groups and some lawmakers have long pushed for a monitoring system to warn drivers of under-inflated tires, which can increase the chances of a catastrophic blowout.
Regulators at NHTSA have proposed a tire pressure monitoring system that would directly check all four tires. A warning light on the dashboard would alert the driver if there is a problem.
But a White House office that has final say on new regulations refused to sign off on the proposal.
Officials there believe that a cheaper, less-accurate alternative supported by some auto makers deserves a closer look. That system would encourage auto makers to equip more vehicles with anti-lock brakes, which help prevent skids and shorten stopping distance in an emergency.
The less-expensive system monitors differences in wheel rotation, which may be caused by low tire pressure. However, if all four tires lose pressure at the same rate, the system favored by the White House would not warn the driver.
Under the compromise, auto makers will be allowed to offer either system in new vehicles through the 2006 model year, and performance data will be used to make a final decision. NHTSA’s original proposal would not have required the more sophisticated system until 2007 anyway.
“We’re in harmony here,” said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge, noting that final details of the compromise are still being worked out.
Both types of systems are currently available on a limited number of models. Luxury models such as the Lincoln Continental and Lexus SC 430 offer the system being proposed by NHTSA. Family vehicles such as the Toyota Sienna and Ford Windstar offer the less-expensive alternative.
Lawmakers of both parties served notice that they oppose watering down the safety bill.
The White House “is not an agency with vehicle safety expertise,” said Commerce Committee Chairman W.J. “Billy” Tauzin (R-La.). “So I hope it will be cautious when it decides to wade into vehicle safety debates.” In a statement, Tauzin said that a monitoring system that might fail to warn in certain cases “is simply unacceptable.”
“We have to move to the technology that is going to provide the safer, more accurate warning to American families,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). “This can’t be something that is used by the industry to achieve delays.”
