Automatic Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
A new EU directive is making tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS) a required accessory on all new passenger cars. The utilisation of a TPMS system improves traffic safety and reduces fuel consumption.
Tyre pressure can significantly affect a car's handling and the service life of its tyres. Correct tyre pressures ensure maximum driving comfort, precise steering, and light rolling that results in fuel savings.
A pressure monitoring system that meets the requirements can be active or passive. An active system has separate pressure sensors inside each tyre, whereas a passive system is based on the tyre rotation speed data from the car's ABS system. Car manufacturers can select which system to use.
The EU regulation concerning the TPMS system enters into force on 1 November 2014, and it applies to vehicles that have been type approved after November 2012, as well as all new cars sold after November 2014. The regulation does not apply to owners of old cars. In other words, if a car has already been registered for use and it does not have a pressure monitoring system, a system will not need to be retrofitted.