As part of the TREAD Act -- Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation -- passed by Congress in 2000, all passenger cars starting in the 2008 model year must have a way to monitor tire pressure. The tire pressure monitoring system alerts you when it detects a 25 percent drop in pressure in any of the tires in operation on the car. The phase-in period for the mandate began in 2005. If your car was manufactured prior to 2008 but after October 2005, you may have TPMS. Prior to the legislation, some high-end cars offered TPMS as a premium option.
As the result of a major recall of defective tires attributed to the deaths of 100 people because of tread separation, Congress passed the TREAD Act and has since incorporated it into the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. If tread separation or other tire failure resulting in the loss of pressure occur while the car is traveling at highway speed, loss of vehicle control is likely to occur, which may result in a rollover. TPMS alerts you to the loss of pressure in the affected tire so you can safely reduce speed and stop the car before dramatic tire failure occurs.
