Technical Report Evaluating the Effectiveness of Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) in Proper Tire Pressure Maintenance

James F. Simons
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
November 19, 2012

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 223 (Monday, November 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69541-69542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2012-0167]


Technical Report Evaluating the Effectiveness of Tire Pressure 
Monitoring Systems (TPMS) in Proper Tire Pressure Maintenance

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Request for comments on technical report.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces NHTSA's publication of a Technical 
Report reviewing and evaluating its existing Safety Standard 138, Tire 
Pressure Monitoring Systems. The report's title is: Evaluation of the 
Effectiveness of TPMS in Proper Tire Pressure Maintenance.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than March 19, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Report: The technical report is available on the Internet 
for viewing in PDF format at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811681.pdf. You may obtain a copy of the report free of charge by 
sending a self-addressed mailing label to Charles J. Kahane (NVS-431), 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53-312, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
    Comments: You may submit comments [identified by Docket Number 
NHTSA-2012-0167] by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    You may call Docket Management at 202-366-9826.
    Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments, see 
the Procedural Matters section of this document. Note that all comments 
received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, 
including any personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Sivinski, Mathematical 
Statistician, Mathematical Analysis Division, NVS-421, National Center 
for Statistics and Analysis, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, Room W55-212, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 
DC 20590. Telephone: 202-366-2740. Email: robert.sivinski@dot.gov.
    For information about NHTSA's evaluations of the effectiveness of 
existing regulations and programs: You may see a list of published 
evaluation reports at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/cats/listpublications.aspx?Id=226&ShowBy=Category and if you click on any 
report you will be able to view it in PDF format.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This report is an analysis of the data 
collected through the Tire Pressure Monitoring System-Special Study as 
it pertains to the effectiveness of TPMS in promoting proper tire 
inflation. The study was conducted in 2011, using a nationally 
representative sampling structure, based on the primary sampling units 
(PSUs) of the National Automotive Sampling System. NASS personnel 
collected 6,103 complete vehicle observations including tire pressure 
of all four tires. This survey found that 23.1 percent of the MY 2004-
2007 vehicles without TPMS had at least one severely underinflated tire 
as defined by FMVSS No. 138 (25% or more below the vehicle 
manufacturer's recommended cold tire pressure), but only 11.8 percent 
of the MY 2004-2007 vehicles equipped with TPMS had a severely 
underinflated tire. Based on these results, the presence of TPMS on a 
vehicle of model years 2004 to 2007 is estimated to result in a 55.6-
percent reduction in the likelihood that the vehicle will have one or 
more severely underinflated tires as defined by FMVSS No. 138. It is 
also estimated to result in a 30.7-percent reduction in the likelihood 
that the vehicle will have one or more tires that are overinflated by 
25 percent or more above the manufacturer's recommended cold tire 
pressure. During the first eight years of operation TPMS is estimated 
to save a typical passenger car 9.32 gallons of fuel and a typical LTV 
27.89 gallons of fuel. During 2011 TPMS is estimated to have saved $511 
million across the vehicle fleet through reduced fuel consumption. 
NHTSA plans to conduct further research to determine the effect of TPMS 
on the incidence of tire-related crashes and injuries.

Procedural Matters

How can I influence NHTSA's thinking on this subject?

    NHTSA welcomes public review of the technical report. NHTSA will 
submit to the Docket a response to the comments and, if appropriate, 
will supplement or revise the report.

How do I prepare and submit comments?

    Your comments must be written and in English. To ensure that your 
comments are correctly filed in the Docket, please include the Docket 
number of this document (NHTSA-2012-0167) in your comments.

[[Page 69542]]

    Your primary comments must not be more than 15 pages long (49 CFR 
553.21). However, you may attach additional documents to your primary 
comments. There is no limit on the length of the attachments.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477) or you may visit http://www.regulations.gov.
    Please send two paper copies of your comments to Docket Management, 
fax them, or use the Federal eRulemaking Portal. The mailing address is 
U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Management Facility, M-30, 
West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590. The fax number is 1-202-493-2251. To use the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal, go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow 
the online instructions for submitting comments.
    We also request, but do not require you to send a copy to Charles 
J. Kahane, Chief, Evaluation Division, NVS-431, National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53-312, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE., Washington, DC 20590 (or email them to chuck.kahane@dot.gov). He 
can check if your comments have been received at the Docket and he can 
expedite their review by NHTSA.

How can I be sure that my comments were received?

    If you wish Docket Management to notify you upon its receipt of 
your comments, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard in the 
envelope containing your comments. Upon receiving your comments, Docket 
Management will return the postcard by mail.

How do I submit confidential business information?

    If you wish to submit any information under a claim of 
confidentiality, send three copies of your complete submission, 
including the information you claim to be confidential business 
information, to the Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. 
Include a cover letter supplying the information specified in our 
confidential business information regulation (49 CFR part 512).
    In addition, send two copies from which you have deleted the 
claimed confidential business information to U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Management Facility, M-30, West Building, Ground 
Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, 
or submit them via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.

Will the agency consider late comments?

    In our response, we will consider all comments that Docket 
Management receives before the close of business on the comment closing 
date indicated above under DATES. To the extent possible, we will also 
consider comments that Docket Management receives after that date.
    Please note that even after the comment closing date, we will 
continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes 
available. Further, some people may submit late comments. Accordingly, 
we recommend that you periodically check the Docket for new material.

How can I read the comments submitted by other people?

    You may read the materials placed in the docket for this document 
(e.g., the comments submitted in response to this document by other 
interested persons) at any time by going to http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets. You may also 
read the materials at the Docket Management Facility by going to the 
street address given above under ADDRESSES. The Docket Management 
Facility is open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30168; delegation of authority at 49 
CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

James F. Simons,
Director, Office of Regulatory Analysis and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 2012-27994 Filed 11-16-12; 8:45 am]
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