It is common knowledge that tires that are under-inflated  are subject to greater wear and tear, and one of the major causes of tire  failure is also tire deflation. Under inflated tires are responsible for more  flat tires, skidding along the highway, tire blowouts and it also takes a longer  distance to bring the vehicle to a halt, all of which compromise the safety of  vehicle passengers and other road users.

It is not easy to tell by visual inspection whether the  air pressure in the tires is sufficient. If the recommended pressure for your  tires is 35 pounds and you are running at 25 pounds, then your tires are in  effect significantly under inflated. It may not be immediately obvious to most  people that the pressure inside their tires are insufficient until the pressure  goes down to 20 pounds, and by that time the safety integrity of the tires may  be called into question.

Road safety concerns resulted in the passing of  legislation that made it mandatory for all car manufacturers to implement tire  pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) as a safety precautionary measure. TPMS is a  system which enables information about tire pressure to be relayed to the  driver's dashboard, and whenever pressure in one or more tires goes below 25  percent of the recommended pressure as specified by the manufacturer, a warning  light will go off. This law, also known as the Tread Act, cover vehicles such as  SUVs, pick-up trucks as well as mini-vans. TPMS is not new in that for many  years, cars in the racing circuit have already implemented the system as a means  to avoid potential tire problems on the racetrack. There are many TPMS  manufacturers in the market, and car manufacturers will determine which system  to use in complying with the legislation. At the end of the day, the cost  incurred is ultimately passed on to the consumer. On top of the initial cost of  the equipment and installation, there is the maintenance cost which includes the  replacement of damaged parts as well as tire repair costs. On the plus side,  reduced wearing of the tires and the benefits of fuel economy to some extend  offset the cost of implementing the TPMS system.

The implementation and enforcement of the legislation will  have a wide-ranging effect on the manner in which car tires are being serviced.  Your service technician will now have to take into consideration the TPMS  sensors that are installed inside the tires whenever you have a need to change  tires. TPMS sensors will have to be temporarily removed and re-installed in the  process, and subsequently they will have to be re-activated after the work is  completed. Damaged to sensors is also a possibility in the removal and  re-installation process, and pressure sensors will also have to undergo a  reprogramming process to align with the new position of each tire after tire  rotation. Reprogramming of the pressure sensors is also required each time you  have a battery disconnection. The batteries that power the TPMS sensors will  also need replacing, and on top of that, new scanning equipment will have to be  acquired by service centers to work with the sensors. The inclusion of TPMS  sensors in tires will mean additional care has to be taken by service  technicians when changing tires, and all that inevitably means an upgrading of  their skills and techniques. Increased cost for car maintenance is the result,  and what was once a relatively inexpensive trip to the tire shop may now burn a  little hole in your pocket.