Report Says “Give Motorists Data on Tyres’ Fuel Efficiency”

The Fuel Efficiency Study by the Transportation Research Board in the USA has called on Congress to allow the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration to collect data on the fuel efficiency of different tyres and to make this available to the public.
The Board believes that, were they given all the facts, motorists would opt for the most fuel-efficient brands. If this were to happen, no doubt low rolling resistance and fuel efficiency would assume paramount importance in new tyre design.

There are 200 million tyres on US roads, says the Board, and American motorists spend $20 billion a year on tyres. It is of the opinion that rolling resistance could be reduced by as much as 10 per cent, which would save up to two billion gallons of fuel a year, although there are no details of how this cut might be achieved.

The Rubber Manufacturers Association says that it supports the Board’s recommendation. A copy of the report can be accessed on www.trb.org/publications/sr/sr286.pdf