SANTA MONICA, Calif.-- A driver with severely under-inflated tires can spend $800 more per year on fuel than necessary, according to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information. With approximately 250 million vehicles on the road in the United States, the potential for saving billions of dollars and tons of fuel is remarkable.
These findings were among the results of Edmunds.com's study carried out by Edmunds.com’s “Green Committee.”
The committee concluded that on average, the company's employees’ tires were nearly seven percent below the manufacturers’ suggested tire pressure. The 212 Edmunds’ employees who participated in the project will save 5,820 gallons of gas a year and approximately $20,500 per year by properly inflating their vehicles’ tires. GreenCarAdvisor.com points out that such savings will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 204.3 tons a year.
The company has supported this effort by distributing tire pressure gauges to its employees and promising to regularly remind them to check their tire pressure.
“When our Green Committee suggested this program, the executives immediately supported it and we began communicating it to our partners and vendors, hoping it will inspire other companies to adopt a similar practice,” commented Edmunds.com President and Chief Operating Officer Avi Steinlauf. “There is real potential for companies to make a difference – both economically and environmentally – through such an initiative.”
If the nearly 250 million vehicles in the United States have tires that are under-inflated by seven percent, proper inflation could result in national annual savings of $23 billion and 3.3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. However, the government estimates that the average vehicle tire is under-inflated by 26 percent, so the potential for savings is far greater.
Dan Edmunds, Edmunds.com’s Director of Vehicle Testing, also pointed out the safety implications of tire pressure. “Under-inflated tires pose a safety risk; when a tire is under-inflated, it is more likely to overheat and blow out, and it provides less control in emergency maneuvers,” he noted. “Tires also wear out faster when under-inflated, creating more unnecessary expense and waste.”
“Keeping tire pressure at the specified level is an easy way to increase your safety, save money and reduce environmental impact,” stated Phil Reed, Edmunds.com’s Senior Consumer Advice Editor. “It’s time to make this bit of car maintenance a priority.”
To review all the results of this study, please see the full article at
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/126090/ More fuel-saving advice articles can be found by visiting Edmunds’ Green Car Guide at
www.edmunds.com/fueleconomy ,
and news on automotive environmental efforts can be found by visiting Edmunds’ Green Car Advisor at
www.greencaradvisor.com .
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