Tire safety rules weakened in name of modernization—study comes too late
S. 5095 — Tire Safety Modernization Act of 2026 · Filed by Roger Wicker (R-MS) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jul 23, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to update federal tire safety standards by removing outdated testing requirements for tire strength and bead unseating, clarifying how tire damage (chunking) is defined and measured, and establishing new high-speed performance testing protocols aligned with international standards. The bill aims to modernize safety rules to reflect current tire technology while requiring a government study within 3–8 years to assess whether the changes improved safety and tire availability.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is updating federal tire safety standards to remove outdated tests and align with international protocols. However, the removal of strength and bead-unseating tests—without prior evidence that modern tires have made them obsolete—suggests a deregulatory tilt that may prioritize industry compliance costs over precautionary safety margins.
What the text implies
- Removing tire strength and bead-unseating tests (S6.5, S6.6 of FMVSS 139) eliminates baseline safety margins that may still protect against catastrophic tire failure in edge cases not covered by newer high-speed protocols; no evidence is presented that these tests are truly obsolete.
- The GAO study is mandated 3–8 years after final rules are published, meaning safety problems from deregulation would not be formally evaluated until years after consumers have been exposed to potentially weaker tires.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
tire manufacturers; automotive suppliers; light truck and passenger car OEMs