Check Your Tyres and Save the World

Speaking at the Geneva motor show, the director general of the London-based FIA Foundation, David Ward, has reiterated the significant financial and environmental impact of driving with under inflated tyres.

As part of the ‘Think Before You Drive’ campaign the FIA Foundation has conducted in partnership with Bridgestone, the foundation has been privy to the results of numerous studies. “In doing this campaign, where there’s been a huge number of tyre testing around Europe, we’ve actually discovered the whole environmental story,” commented Mr. Ward.

“The extraordinary thing is we’re struggling to get fuel economy out of cars, more fuel efficient, and in Brussels there’s great political discussions about moving the vehicle averages down from 140g per kilometre to something like 120. Our evidence from this campaign shows that nearly 0.7 grams per kilometer is being wasted just through under inflation of tyres.”

And as well as harming the environment, motorists who don’t regularly check their vehicle’s tyre pressure are hurting the hip pocket. “The driver is both putting themselves at risk, in terms of crash risk, but they’re also burning their money as well as they’re burning carbon because the tyre under inflation increases the rolling resistance of the tyre, damaging the fuel economy, damaging the handling, and also wearing out the tyre,” Mr. Ward adds.

In summation, David Wards states that the key to safer, cheaper motoring and a cleaner environment is to regularly check tyre pressure. “We should do that, all of us, at least once every couple of weeks. And that action makes your car safer, makes your wallet fatter, because you’re not losing fuel efficiency, you’re not burning up the tyre. And also you’re helping keep the planet under control.”