Congress passed the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentations Act, also called the TREAD Act, in 2000 in response to a major recall of defective tires that created unsafe driving conditions.

The TREAD Act (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 138) mandates that every new vehicle, less than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW), sold in the U.S. be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, or TPMS, beginning with the 2006 model year. TPMS alerts drivers when the pressure in a tire falls more than 25% below the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure. The TREAD Act affects passenger cars, light trucks and buses. Vehicles under 10,000 lbs GVW with dual-rear axles are excluded.