Under-inflated tyres are costing the UK’s drivers more than £440 million pounds a year, new research suggests.
According to Michelin which undertook the research, poor tyre pressure is not just affecting our bank balances either but resulting in 370 million litres of fuel being wasted too-contributing to an additional 1 million tonnes of CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere.
Luckily, the tyre maker is coming to the rescue of drivers who are in the dark when it comes to tyre pressures. The Michelin Fill Up With Air team is taking to the road to offer free tyre checks to help improve safety and reduce vehicle CO2 emissions, while also helping motorists save cash.
Michelin’s head of communications, Peter Snelling, said: “Based on the findings of Michelin’s 2009 campaign, if all of the cars in the UK were running on correctly inflated tyres then motorists would save a considerable amount of money and as a result, CO2 emissions would also be reduced.
“Last year we checked more than 5,000 cars and the results showed that a large percentage of motorists in this country are simply not taking tyre maintenance seriously. This year the Michelin Fill Up With Air campaign is going to be the biggest to date with more than 50 locations included in the tour, so if we’re in your town please take 10 minutes to come in for a free tyre check.
“It really is a matter of life and death and people should learn to check their tyres regularly and thoroughly which is what we can help them to do”, he concludes.
Michelin is campaigning to make drivers aware that the wrong tyre pressures can mean tyres wear out more quickly as well as increasing the car’s fuel consumption. With fuel prices at an all-time high it is now more important than ever that people set their tyres to the correct pressure.
The Fill Up with Air Roadshow will be touring the UK and Ireland from May to October.
The research uncovered the shocking statistics by averaging out the annual mileage covered by the UK’s 30.3 million cars. The firm assumed that these cars covered 12,000 miles per annum achieving on average 35 mpg, with fuel costing £1.20 per litre.
