Acting to prevent tyre failures linked to deadly rollovers of sport-utility vehicles, federal regulators will issue a final rule this week requiring all new passenger cars and trucks to have individual tyre-pressure-monitoring sensors by the 2008 model year, Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal reported, according to Dow Jones Newswires.
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The report said tiny microchip sensors attached to each wheel will signal if any tyre falls 25% below the recommended inflation pressure and trigger a dashboard warning light – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated the cost per vehicle to manufacturers at about $US70.
The WSJ reportedly said auto makers must begin phasing in the tyre-safety devices into new models in September – all new vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less will be required to come equipped with them by the 2008 model year.
The report said the new requirement is similar to a proposal released in September and is aimed at giving drivers a better chance of avoiding an accident because of a failing tyre, although tyre and auto makers continue to debate how low the tyre pressure should fall before a warning light is triggered.
Tyre makers worry the new warning system won’t signal low pressure early enough, while auto makers say drivers will ignore warning lights if they come on too often, Dow Jones added.
