The price of Gasoline is rising faster than
a runaway kite. What you can do to save a
little money..
Checking Your Tires to Save Money and the
Environment (ARA) – It’s summer, which means vacation
time for millions
of American families, piling
the kids into the
car and driving to a favorite
getaway. But with
soaring gas prices nearing
$4 per gallon and
beyond, many folks are
checking their wallets
instead of hotel reservations.
This summer’s big
outing may be reduced to
a few trips to the
mall.
It doesn’t have to
be that way, though. There
are proven ways to
increase fuel economy
and squeeze out more
miles per tank. Auto
experts suggest one
solution is paying more
attention to tires,
those technologically
advanced, but often
forgotten objects that
connect vehicles
to the road. Simply spending
five minutes a month
checking a tire’s air
pressure and keeping
it properly inflated
can save gas in the
tank and a ton of money.
Not to mention help
protect the environment.
The Auto Club estimates
that a motorist who
drives an average
of 12,000 miles annually
on tires that are
underinflated by five to
eight psi (pounds
per square inch) is wasting
up to 50 gallons
of gasoline -- $192.50 (at
$3.85 a gallon) a
year. That’s close to the
cost of a week’s
worth of groceries ($226)
for a family of four,
according to the U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture.
If there are two drivers
in the family, that
total comes to $380,
well over a week’s
worth of food for the
family.
According to Mark
Chung of Yokohama Tire
Corporation, which
manufactures tires for
passenger cars, SUVs,
buses, trucks and airplanes,
“Drivers across the
country can fight rising
gas prices by simply
maintaining proper tire
inflation. Tires
that are underinflated by
just six to seven
psi can reduce vehicle
fuel economy by as
much as 2 percent and
tire tread wear can
also be reduced by as
much as ten percent.”
The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) reports 66
million vehicles (37 million
cars, 29 million
pickup trucks/SUVs) have
underinflated tires,
which literally means
more rubber is hitting
the road and, accordingly,
miles per gallon
is lessened. “In fact,”
Chung says, “tire
experts speculate that
2.8 billion gallons
of gas are wasted annually
by U.S. drivers simply
because they’re driving
on underinflated
tires.”
At today’s gas prices,
2.8 billion gallons
of gas translates
to a staggering $9.6 billion
lost by consumers
for having underinflated
tires. That’s a lot
of family summer vacations.
“In addition, that
same 2.8 billion gallons
wasted result into
56 billion pounds of carbon
dioxide released
into the environment,” continues
Chung. “We can all
help prevent this by making
sure our tires are
properly inflated.”
“People can find
the tire’s proper inflation
level on the vehicle
placard located in the
driver side door
jamb, in the glove box or
in the owner’s manual,”
Chung says. And
while there are about
3,500 sizes and types
of tires on the market,
he has some simple
tips to aid proper
tire wear:
* Once a month, when
the tires are cold --
at least 3 to 4 hours
after the vehicle has
been driven -- check
tire pressure with a
reliable tire gauge.
(Normal driving causes
tires to heat, which
raises air pressure.)
Be sure that the
valve stems have a plastic
or metal cap to keep
out dirt and seal against
leakage.
* Tires should be
rotated at least every
6 to 8 thousand miles
and the alignment should
be checked once a
year. Misaligned tires
can cause the car
to scrub, which lowers
mileage and causes
unnecessary tire wear.
* An over-inflated
tire changes the tires
road contact area
and increases wear on the
center of the tread.
A tire is designed to
run with the vehicle’s
weight spread correctly
in the road contact
zone.
* Consumers can go
to (www.yokohamatire.com/csunderstand.asp)
for additional tire
care and safety tips
or visit the Rubber
Manufacturers Association’s
Web site at www.rma.org
and AAA Club at www.aaa.com.
“With escalating
fuel prices, drivers are
going to focus on
simple things, like proper
tire pressure, to
maximize tire performance,
increase fuel economy
and boost tread wear,”
says Chung. “Keep
your tires properly inflated
and you’ll prevent
your wallet from being
deflated this summer.”
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