Safer tires, brakes top regulatory priorities for NHTSA

WASHINGTON (July 29, 2002) — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said its top regulatory priority over the next four years is the Transportation, Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation Act, or TREAD Act, which requires new cars and trucks to be equipped with tire monitoring systems.

Last week, NHTSA, the vehicle standards arm of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, released what it considers to be its most important rulemaking actions through 2005. They include improved head restraints and fuel system integrity, advanced air bags and dummies, upgraded roof crush resistance, occupant ejection prevention in rollover crashes, offset frontal and enhanced side crash protection, and reduced glare from headlamps.

For heavy trucks, NHTSA said it would focus on shortening stopping distances and improving braking. It said tests would continue to look at electronic braking controls and disc brakes; increasing foundation brake capacity; improving tractor-trailer brake compatibility; and adding traction control to antilock brake systems.

NHTSA issues and enforces U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, which heavily influence vehicle standards in Canada. Its overriding mandate is to reduce fatalities resulting from motor vehicle accidents.

The list of priorities is open to public comment through Sept. 23. The plan and the notice of request for comments can be found on NHTSA’s web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings or from the DOT’s Docket Management System.