Tyre manufacturer Michelin is reporting that it has helped nearly 5,000 motorists save fuel and reduce CO2 emissions this summer as part of its “Fill Up With Air” campaign.
Touring the UK since May, the event shows drivers the importance of keeping tyres at the correct pressure and it has been estimated that more than 12,700 gallons of fuel has been saved by the 4,753 cars which took part during the summer. This is in addition to the decrease in tyre wear and the reduced costs of replacing incorrectly inflated tyres less frequently.
As well as the negative environmental impact, driving with the wrong tyre pressures can be detrimental to a vehicle’s handling, putting the safety of its occupants and other road users at risk. It also puts more stress on the vehicle’s steering and suspension components leading to possible wear and additional maintenance costs.
Michelin’s head of communications, Peter Snelling, said: “The Fill Up With Air campaign has been the biggest to date, reaching thousands of motorists.
“Not only does driving with the wrong pressures have an effect on the environment, but it can seriously compromise safety. Tyres that are under inflated can cause poor handling on the road and potentially lead to serious accidents and put lives at risk.
There are lots of ways that people can help to cut their carbon footprint and keeping tyres at the correct pressure is a simple and very cheap solution.”
The best advice for motorists is to frequently check the air pressure in their tyres – once a week or before the start of any long drive.
- Acceptable: up to 3psi under-inflated
- Temporarily acceptable: between 4 to 7 psi under-inflated
- Dangerous: between: 8 to 14psi under-inflated
- Very dangerous: more than 14psi under-inflated
