Vehicle

Are you saving on car insurance but wasting money on poor tyre maintenance?


We often discuss on the various ways to save on car insurance. We spend hours focused on comparing car insurance quotes, analysing the terms and conditions of car insurance policies, yet we neglect the money wasted with poor vehicle maintenance.

Did you know that you may be wasting money on additional fuel costs by not focusing on the correct tyre pressure and driving around with under inflated tyres?

UK motorists are wasting £337 million pounds on fuel every year by driving with under-inflated tyres according to new research* by Michelin following its 2011 Fill Up With Air campaign.

The Michelin Fill Up With Air roadshow, which has been touring the UK since May highlighting the importance of keeping tyres inflated to the correct pressure, has revealed that a shocking 39 per cent of motorists are driving on dangerous or very dangerously under- inflated tyres**, whilst 5 per cent are running around on punctured tyres.

As a result drivers are using an extra 244 million litres of fuel and emitting more than 600,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. And this is in addition to an increase in braking distances, poor handling characteristics and reduced tyre life.

Michelin’s head of communications, Phil Baldock said: “It’s crucial that drivers understand the importance of driving with the correct tyre pressure. Under-inflated tyres can not only put lives at risk but they increase the stress on a vehicle’s steering and suspension, cause it to use more fuel and thus produce more CO2. Not only does the right pressure improve safety, is it beneficial for their bank balance to have correctly inflated tyres and it also helps the environment.

“There are lots of ways that people can cut their carbon footprint and keeping tyres at the correct pressure is a simple and cost effective solution.”

CO2 is considered to be one of the main greenhouse gases that cause climate change and around 45 per cent of the UK’s man-made CO2 emissions come from energy used every day, at home and through travel.

The Fill Up With Air roadshow highlights the huge gap in knowledge when it comes to tyre awareness with many motorists failing to realise that incorrectly inflated tyres can have a negative effect on a vehicle’s safety, putting the safety of its occupants and other road users at risk.

Choosing the right tyre can also help reduce motoring costs. For advice on selecting the correct tyre and how to keep it in tip top condition can be found at the Michelin website at: www.michelin.co.uk

We would like to urge all vehicle owners to pay close attention to tyre safety and view the following sections:

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