Study recommends EU action on tyre safety

Requiring in-vehicle Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) that can react to quick deflation in seconds rather than minutes is among the recommendations on improving tyre-related safety made to the European Commission in a study by Dutch researchers TNO.

The researchers said the major safety concern of inflation pressure is “quick deflation that can lead to tyre blowout failure or vehicle instabilities. Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems can detect such events, however the current regulation prescribes a detection time of 10 minutes while a safety critical situation can take place over several seconds.”

The research, which examined the costs and benefits of a wide range of tyre safety issues, also says a harmonised European standard for winter tyres is  needed, as well as more effort to enforce existing rules on tread depth.

See study