Over the past few decades, perhaps one of the biggest technical developments has been to tires. And now, new rules concerning tires will yield even more mileage and safety improvements.

After the estimated 280 deaths that were linked to Firestone tire failures on the Ford Explorer SUVs, lawmakers ordered tire pressure monitoring systems are used. These systems alert drivers if they have a tire with low air.

Thankfully, some of the recent monitoring systems don’t have problems that were experienced with the earlier technology. Problems included false alerts, and failure to advise drivers which of their tires was low.

Now, there is a national registry that has been approved, allowing drivers to register their tires that they purchase. In the case of a recall, such as Firestone, drivers would be notified quickly.

Drivers will be much safer with the new tire rules. However, drivers should always protect themselves by doing regular tire pressure checks and having a road service program in case of an emergency.