Govt Urges Motorists to Check Tyre Pressure

The UK government has introduced a campaign encouraging motorists to reduce CO2 emissions through adhering to a number of simple principles, including regularly checking tyre pressure. The ‘Drive Smarter’ campaign, promoted by the Department for Transport, began on March 11 and states that CO2 emissions could be reduced by 8 per cent if all drivers in the UK followed the campaign’s smarter driving tips – this equals 5.5 million tonnes of CO2 a year, or more than £2billion in fuel costs.

The Drive Smarter campaign urges motorists to “pump up to cut down” and states that “under inflated tyres create more resistance when your car is moving, which means your engine has to work harder, so more fuel is used and more CO2 emissions are produced. Simply check and adjust your tyre pressures regularly and also before long journeys. This will also help to increase the life of your tyres. Under inflated tyres increase CO2 but over inflated tyres can be unsafe so check your car manual for the correct tyre pressure. Remember, a car with a heavier load may need different air pressure in the tyres.”

Numerous Government representatives have voiced their support for the new initiative. “I welcome this campaign to encourage people to cut their CO2 emissions from cars.,” said Environment Secretary David Miliband. “We will be rolling the campaign out in the spring to enable individuals to think about changing their behaviours to adopt a lower carbon lifestyle and help tackle climate change.”

Transport Minister Gillian Merron added “Climate change will affect us all, but we can all do our bit to help tackle it. Little changes can make a big difference – and this campaign is all about giving drivers practical tips to help them make that real difference.”

The Drive Smarter campaign is the first to be launched under the cross Government brand ‘Act on CO2’, which aims to provide the public with information on how to reduce individual carbon emissions. The brand was developed by the Department for Transport together with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.