Last year, SEMA joined with the Rubber Manufacturers Association, Tire Industry Association and National Automobile Dealers Association in recommending that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) update its tire registration regulations to allow consumers to register their tire purchases electronically rather than by mailing back a paper registration form. The NHTSA agreed and has now issued a proposed rule to modify the tire recordkeeping regulation (49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 574) to permit registration via the Internet, fax or through other electronic methods.
Electronic registration should greatly increase the number of consumers who register their purchase (beyond the estimated 10%). It should also decrease the amount of information that is inaccurate, incomplete or illegible when the forms have been completed.
The NHTSA’s tire record-keeping regulation was first issued in 1970. Under the rule, tire distributors and dealers are required to provide a paper registration form (or card) to purchasers of new tires. The registration forms are valuable since they allow the tire manufacturer the ability to contact the consumer in case there is a tire-related safety issue. The manufacturer is required to maintain the information for at least five years. The option for electronic filing should not impose any additional burden on tire manufacturers, dealers and distributors, but rather improve efficiency and increase safety benefits.
For further information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.