With the urgent need for more ventilators in the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the U.S. Automakers answer our country’s call for help by shifting their focus from manufacturing vehicles to manufacturing ventilators.
Continue Reading Will the PREP Act Adequately Protect U.S. Automakers That Are Now Making Ventilators from Future Product Liability Claims?
Will the PREP Act Adequately Protect U.S. Automakers That Are Now Making Ventilators from Future Product Liability Claims?
As tire manufacturers enter the age of the Internet of Things, some are making smart tires equipped with sensors that allow the consumer to view information regarding the tire on applications downloaded to their smart phones. These tires contain small sensors in their sidewalls that do not impact tire performance. The sensors can track the tire’s temperature, the tire’s inflation pressure, the tire’s mileage and even the tire’s load capacity. Not only the consumer can view this information, but so can service technicians maintaining the vehicle and tire.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is pushing for new regulations requiring tractor-trailer trucks to be equipped with speed-limiting devices. This regulation, if passed, will impact not only the trucking industry but also the manufacturers of tractor-trailer trucks and tires. The intended purpose of this new regulation is to reduce the risk of tire disablement. NHTSA is reacting to recent Associated Press reports that many states have speed limits that are higher than truck tires’ speed ratings. Some states have speed limits of 75, 80 or 85 mph. Most truck tires are speed rated for 75 mph. There are, however, truck tires available with speed ratings in the low 80s.