GT Radial’s tyre pressure warning as UK heats up

The UK’s weather and public feeling about further hikes in fuel costs are heating up, but cooler tyre industry heads at distributor GT Radial are suggesting that road users could save around 15 pence per litre of fuel by ensuring their tyres are properly inflated. The manufacturer’s representatives say the problem of under-inflation is compounded by the shifting seasonal temperature; as the UK’s weather starts to warm up, tyres will start to lose air more quickly than during the winter months, said the company’s managing director for Europe, Richard Lyons.

Lyons said: “There is an understandable outcry about the current price increases affecting petrol and diesel but relatively few motorists know about the dramatic effect that tyre under inflation can have on fuel consumption.

“Even a slight level of under inflation increases the rolling resistance of the tyre and means that motorists are losing pence on every litre of fuel and potentially pounds on every tank.  By making sure that their tyres are at the correct pressure, many drivers could effectively wind back the clock on recent fuel increases and make substantial savings.

“Some surveys show that up to two thirds of motorists are driving around on under inflated tyres; if more people made a concerted effort to maintain correct tyre pressures, it would mean a lot of petrol and diesel saved.”

Lyons added that during the summer months especially, drivers should be checking their tyre pressures increasingly often as more air tend to escape from tyres as the weather becomes warmer: “Really, drivers should be checking their tyre pressures every week, especially at this time of year. Of course, keeping your tyres at the correct pressure can mean cost savings when it comes to fuel but also has real benefits when it comes to increasing the safety of your car and reducing tyre wear.  It is something that you should take seriously.”

GT Radial say an average 5psi under inflation can easily mean an increase in petrol and diesel consumption of around 10 per cent.