UK motorists drive on under-inflated tyres - survey

ERJ staff report (DS)

London -- Over half of UK motorists are running in under-inflated tyres, according to Michelin, which ran a survey recently. Michelin found that more than 60 percent of cars on British roads are running with incorrect tyre pressure, while 35 percent have dangerously under-inflated tyres risking an accident, according to the Company's “Fill up with Air” roadshow.

Despite the appalling situation, of 65 percent of vehicles having at least one incorrectly-inflated tyre, the conditions of British tyres are now better than a year ago, when 80 percent were in correct.

The Michelin study tested over 2600 vehicles at 17 locations in the UK and Ireland. It found that 7 percent had a tyre which was over-inflated; 35 percent had a tyres which was at least 1 bar below the recommended pressure and a further 30 percent had a tyre which was at least 0.5 bar below the recommended pressure.

Twenty per cent of a car's fuel consumption, or one tank in every five, is used to overcome the rolling resistance of tyres. Low tyre pressures increase this resistance force, leading to increased fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions and tyre wear.