Motoring News

A survey of UK petrol forecourts, conducted by Tyresafe, has found that three of every five airlines are out of order.

With fuel prices rocketing, and the link between under-inflated tyres and fuel efficiency – as well as CO2 emissions – firmly proven, it is vital that motorists can regularly check the pressures and re-inflate their tyres to maximise road holding and performance.

The survey follows a report which appeared in the automotive weekly publication, Auto Express, which found that 40 per cent of airlines were faulty or inoperative.

In 2007, Tyresafe found that almost three quarters of all cars on the country’s roads have tyres that are under-inflated, following a survey of motorists who brought their cars into tyre repairers. Michelin also found that the UK ranks 25th out of the 27 European countries, with four in every five vehicles having tyres incorrectly inflated.

Peter Snelling, head of communications for Michelin UK, commented: "Motorists complain about the state of the roads and the penal cost of motoring but are simply lazy when it comes to the most basic road safety precaution.

"If we all drove with the correct tyre pressures we would save £2 billion in fuel costs and contribute to reducing CO2 emission by 5.5 million tonnes per year. Effectively running on tyres 10psi below the recommended level adds a cost equivalent to an extra 3p a litre of fuel."

Tyresafe is contacting managers of petrol forecourts to encourage them to get their airlines functioning as soon as they can.

Be Sociable, Share!

•