Michelin Kicks Off Tyre Pressure Campaign at Eurotunnel

Following on from its 2007 campaign, Michelin’s latest “Fill up with Air” roadshow kicks off at the Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal on 1-2 July. Motorists travelling to France passing through the terminal will have the chance to get a free tyre pressure check and advice on their tyres from Michelin technicians before setting out on their journey.

This Folkestone event is the start of a UK-wide roadshow designed to educate motorists on the importance of correct tyre pressures. Over two days in 2007, a similar Michelin survey at Eurotunnel concluded that 83 per cent of vehicles checked by the technicians had under-inflated tyres and a staggering 63 per cent were dangerously under-inflated.

Having the correct pressures in your tyres – the only contact between your car and the road – is essential for safety. Under-inflated tyres are dangerous; running 15psi under-inflated lowers the speed at which the car will aquaplane on a wet surface by 10mph. Low pressure also affects the car’s handling and reduces cornering ability and can cause a build up of excess heat that can permanently weaken the tyre’s structure, possibly causing it to fail.

In today’s green climate, tyres play a significant role in reducing a motorist’s carbon footprint. Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance when a car is moving which means the engine has to work harder, thus more fuel is used and more CO2 emissions are produced. Equally, driving on tyres 20 per cent under-inflated – as little as 6psi below the recommended pressure – means 20 per cent fewer miles from a set of tyres. Having the correct pressure means that over 70,000 miles of motoring, you could save the cost of two tyres due to the increase in tyre life compared to running under inflated.