US State Makes Tyre Pressure Checks Compulsory

When a regulation adopted on March 26 comes into force, automotive maintenance outlets in the US state of California will be required to check tyre pressure on every vehicle they service. The Air Resources Board regulation takes effect July 1, 2010, and is one of 44 early action measures intended to extend the average tyre’s useful life by 4,700 miles, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 700,000 tonnes and the state’s fuel consumption by 284 million litres.

“Checking tyre pressure is one of the many simple things that we can all do to reduce our impact on the environment,” said ARB board member Barbara Riordan. “While we should do this monthly, this measure makes it convenient and regular.” Some 40,000 businesses, including pollution inspection stations, repair centres and vehicle servicing centres are covered by the new regulation.

“Under-inflated tyres waste fuel, cause tyres to wear out prematurely, and increase drivers’ safety risk,” said Dan Zielinski, senior vice president with the Rubber Manufacturers Association. “This regulation will help protect California’s environment, help consumers save money in fuel and tyre costs, and help Californians optimise vehicle safety.”