Michelin Fill Up With Air Campaign the “Biggest to Date”

Michelin says drivers in the UK are losing out on more than £440 million pounds by driving with the under-inflated tyres. The French giant is publicising the effects of this perpetual problem via its Fill Up With Air roadshow, on which a Michelin team offers free tyre checks. Michelin’s research, based on a parc of 30.3 million cars driving 12,000 miles per annum at 35mpg, with fuel costing £1.20 per litre, suggests more than 370 million litres of fuel are being wasted each year.

Michelin’s head of communications, Peter Snelling, said: “Based on the findings of Michelin’s 2009 campaign, if all of the cars in the UK were running on correctly inflated tyres then motorists would save more than £440 million and more than 370 million litres of fuel a year. As a result, CO2 emissions would also be reduced by almost 1 million tonnes.

“Michelin’s 2010, Fill Up With Air campaign is going to be the biggest to date with more than 50 locations included in the tour. It really is a matter of life and death and people should learn to check their tyres regularly and thoroughly which is what we can help them to do. Tyres that are under inflated can cause poor handling on the road and potentially lead to serious accidents and put lives at risk.

“Last year we checked more than 5,000 cars and the results showed that some motorists in this country are simply not taking tyre maintenance seriously. This year the Michelin Fill Up With Air team will be visiting more locations than ever before, so if we’re in your town please take 10 minutes to come in for a free tyre check.”

Snelling concluded: “It is not only the nation’s purse which is suffering but the environment too. If motorists consume less fuel by having the correct tyre pressure then they produce less CO2, which is much better for the environment.” Locations on the Fill Up With Air team’s schedule can be found on Michelin’s UK website.