RMA says US tyre rolling resistance bill is unlikely to pass

Washington, DC - A US bill to create a national tyre fuel efficiency consumer education programme is probably dead in this Congress, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association, the organisation that championed it.

"We kept waiting for it to be put on the House suspension calendar, but it never was, and it probably won't come up in the lame-duck session," said an RMA spokesman.

The bill, which passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee June 20, would have mandated the establishment of a national tyre fuel efficiency rating system for passenger tyres, along with specifications for measuring tyre rolling resistance and disseminating fuel efficiency information among consumers. The RMA promoted the bill as a less draconian alternative to rolling resistance bills introduced in the House and Senate, and the Tire Industry Association, despite some reservations, supported the bill as an alternative to crazy-quilt state regulations for tyre fuel efficiency.

The Specialty Market Equipment Association, however, said the bill would impose a major regulatory burden on most of the tyre industry and only further confuse motorists on tyre safety and maintenance issues.

From Rubber & Plastics News (A Crain publication)

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