wintersun wrote:
The feds mandated the TPMS starting with 2007 vehicles and the intent was to improve fuel economy as it was believed that most people were driving with tire pressures that were more thn 10% low and so they are burning more fuel. Nothing to do with safety but that is a widely held and false belief that is pervasive.
I'd like to see a reference for it not being for safety. The
NHTSA said they implemented the TPMS rule in response to the
TREAD Act of 2000, which in turn was created in response to the Firestone tire failures.
Fuel efficiency may have been a secondary concern, but given that the NHTSA doesn't require a low pressure warning until tire pressure is 25% low, it seems like a low standard if the goal was to ensure optimal efficiency.
