TPMS, or tire pressure monitoring system, is an innovative system of installing tire pressure sensors within tires to monitor the level of pressure within tires. Through a wireless transmitter, information about tire pressure conditions is relayed to the drivers via the vehicle dashboard. Simple as it may seem, tpms is the result of years of research overcoming the limitations of battery life of sensors for instant, which is crucial if constant replacement becomes a chore with the removal and replacement of tires as a necessity. Housing sensitive pressure sensors within the tires is by itself a formidable task that needs to take into account the durability of such devices in an unforgiving environment. However, there is no challenge to difficult for manufacturers who are all vying for a piece of the enormous market created by the mandatory implementation of tpms in all automobiles. It is not just the automotive OEM manufacturers who will benefit from the legislation, but the aftermarket sales and service industry as well. The idea of TPMS, which was conceived in the US, has now spread to countries in Europe as well as Japan and South Korea. This is an exciting development not only in the sense that our roads will eventually be made safer for all, but also that jobs will be created for many thousands who service this industry.

Inevitably, some will argue that tpms is a waste of precious resource as the are other alternatives to road safety. However, nobody will argue that road safety can be measured in dollar terms and the goal of making our roads safer is indeed a step in the right direction. It will be years to come when we can pull out the statistics and prove once and for all, that road fatalities as a result of tire blowouts, misjudged stopping distances and skidding for instant, have indeed been reduced, all thanks to the introduction of tpms.