At the 15 November close of comments on NHTSAs proposed Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Ruling, it has become clear that almost all currently available TPMS systems are less than ‘safety standard when it comes to immediately registering critical tire pressure events.
(PRWEB) December 8, 2004 -- From the 80 comments provided to NHTSA on their Final Ruling, it appears that ETV Corporations VisiTyre is the only system with the capability of immediate response on ignition. All other systems vying for the emerging market for TPMS integration cannot by their own admission, report the tire pressure status at the time of ignition and then only work when the vehicle has been driving for between six minutes in the best case scenario, and up to 60 minutes in the worst case scenario.
'One can only wonder how NHTSA can possibly regard these TPMS products as Safety Systems and allow them to be included in any minimum standard, when they suffer from obvious safety shortcomings' says Gregg Eichhorn, ETV Global Business Manager. 'They dont appear to work unless the vehicle has actually moved off into the traffic, which seems to defeat the whole intent of the mandate, particularly when they can take up to 60 minutes of driving to function accurately. It is hard to imagine that a product that does not function immediately a vehicle is turned on can be considered as a legally mandated safety product, when there are TPMS products out there that can achieve this basic function.'
Phil Cohen, ETVs Technical Director, explains that ‘the inability to immediately report, is a limitation which is inherent with all battery powered radio frequency wheel sensor modules, but is simply not an issue with VisiTyre. VisiTyre gets rid of the sensor battery by replacing it with electromagnetic coupling technology . . . the instant the ignition is switched on, each wheel sensor is powered and every tires status, including the spare, is immediately available to the driver. . . as well being a true safety system the electromagnetic coupling has zero maintenance."
A common theme of comments submitted to the DOTs docket management system is that TPMS products must exhibit a minimum standard level of common sense functionality. The majority of submissions reflect an emphasis on functionality rather than on safety and appear to be directly related to overcoming the limitations of their battery powered TPMS technology. Public Citizen sums up the situation with its comment that elements of NHTSAs proposed rulemaking appear to be: ‘blatantly crafted for the singular purpose of accommodating less effective safety technology.
'The TREAD Act has created an almost unique situation in the US Auto Industry, where in the case of TPMS no standard was established prior to the legislation being enacted. A strong stand should be taken by NHTSA to ensure that the standard established for implementation of the Tread Act TPMS Mandate under their Final Ruling is indeed a true Safety Product without compromises that could potentially jeopardise the US motoring publics safety says Mr Cohen.
ETV Corporation, based in Sydney Australia, is a Government approved Technology Research and Development Company, specialising in micro electronics and systems components design and software, for the monitoring of tire pressure in all forms of rubber wheeled machinery.
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