Our February 18, 2014 blog, Massachusetts, Where Only Young Rubber Hits the Road, covered An Act to Increase Road Safety, proposed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives, which was assigned bill tracking number H3016. The Act would require issuance of a rejection certificate for any vehicle equipped with a light-truck or passenger tire, including a full-service spare, more than six years old.

The Act advanced beyond the Massachusetts House of Representatives and on March 5, 2014, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Transportation held a hearing on the Act. The Committee directed further study of the Act before moving it forward to become Massachusetts law. We will continue to track this legislation and promise to keep our readers updated on any key developments.

Separately, on May 15, 2014, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) started an investigation on tire aging. The NTSB announced this investigation through its blog, “NTSB Safety Compass.” The NTSB investigation could indicate an interest in proposing federal legislation in this area, similar to the legislation that is pending in Massachusetts. We are watching the NTSB’s investigation as well and will report developments in future blog posts.