NHTSA Opens Tire Safety Overhaul, First in More Than 20 Years

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is starting a rewrite of the federal rules that govern how tires are tested and labeled. The agency calls it the first major overhaul of its tire safety standards in more than 20 years, according to a NHTSA press release reported by Repairer Driven News.

The agency says it wants the updated rules to make room for newer tire technology, improve safety for drivers and bring down vehicle costs. The public has until Nov. 27 to comment on the plan and to apply for a seat on the advisory panel that will help write it.

A committee will negotiate the new rules

NHTSA plans to set up a Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee for Tire Safety, according to a notice in the Federal Register. In a negotiated rulemaking, the agency brings outside groups into the drafting process early instead of publishing a finished proposal and collecting reactions afterward. NHTSA says this approach should speed up the work.

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy will appoint up to 18 members. The release says they will come from tire manufacturers, automakers, safety organizations, research institutions and engineering associations. The committee’s role is to advise the secretary on tire safety matters.

NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said in the release that the regulatory framework “must keep pace” with changes in tire technology and vehicle design.

Which tire tests are under review

The notice lists three existing lab tests the committee will examine to decide whether they are still needed and whether they work:

• The tire strength test, which measures how much energy it takes for a plunger to push through the tread.
• The bead unseating resistance test, which checks how well a tire stays seated on the rim. The bead is the edge of the tire that grips the wheel.
• The tire endurance test, which looks at how a tire holds up over long running periods, including chunking, where pieces of rubber break away.

NHTSA says these tests are outdated and will be revised to reflect current road conditions and modern tire construction.

Airless tires, sidewall markings and truck tires

Beyond testing, the committee will take up wider questions. One is how to bring non-pneumatic tires into the rules. These are tires that do not rely on air pressure, and NHTSA describes them as puncture-proof designs that currently lack specific safety requirements.

The panel will also look at modernizing the markings molded into tire sidewalls, which carry information such as size and load ratings. And it will consider a petition from the Tire and Rim Association asking that Load Range F light truck tires be covered by FMVSS No. 139, the federal standard for light vehicle tires. NHTSA also says it will review weight limit guidelines for trucks and SUVs.

What it means for drivers

For now, nothing changes for car owners. The tires on sale today still have to meet the current federal standards, and the new rules have not been drafted yet. The process does set the terms for how future tires, including airless designs, will be judged before they reach American roads.

NHTSA has said lower costs are one goal of the update, but it has not said how much prices might change or when any new rule would take effect.

How to comment and what comes next

NHTSA is asking for public input on the committee’s scope and on who should sit on it, and it has requested formal nominations for membership. Comments go to regulations.gov under Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1717. Membership applications are submitted by email. Both are due Nov. 27, according to the notice.

The tire effort is part of a broader cleanup of older standards. NHTSA also says it plans to update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, the rule that covers vehicle lighting, which the agency described as “long overdue” for revision.

Source: Repairer Driven News