NHTSA says major tire safety standard overhaul is coming

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Oct. 26 that it is seeking to modernize tire safety standards through the negotiated rulemaking process. The agency said it would update outdated testing methods on tire strength, rim resistance and endurance and examine how to set safety rules for new technologies, such as puncture-proof tires. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will appoint 18 experts and stakeholders to advise him on crafting the standards. A tentative list of the committee includes people representing tire manufacturers or retailers; vehicle or vehicle equipment manufacturing associations; national vehicle manufacturers; national motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment safety organizations; educational groups; research groups or testing organizations; and professional engineering or standard-setting associations. According to the announcement, this would be the first major overhaul of tire safety standards in more than 20 years. The notice of proposed rulemaking published Oct. 27 explained that committee discussions on tire testing would focus on “the continued necessity and effectiveness of the tire strength test (plunger energy), the bead unseating resistance test and the tire endurance test (chunking).” The committee would also evaluate the use of non-pneumatic tires and modernization of tire markings. Robert Braswell, executive director of American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council, said that possibly removing the bead unseat and plunger energy tests for tires may be the most relevant to commercial trucking of all of the issues the committee will examine. He said these tests were developed many decades ago when bias tires were popularly used. “Bias tires are a different kind of tire construction. They’re a…

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