Michelin: Lack Of Fresh Air Costs UK Motorists £440 Million A Year

STOKE-ON-TRENT, UNITED KINGDOM – May 26, 2010: Drivers in the UK are throwing away more than £440 million pounds by driving with under-inflated tyres.

The research, revealed by Michelin discovered that not only are motorists letting poor tyre pressure maintenance affect their bank balance, but more than 370 million litres of fuel are being wasted each year. This also contributes to an additional 1 million tonnes of CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere.

Luckily, Michelin is coming to the rescue of drivers who are in the dark when it comes to tyre pressures. The Michelin Fill Up With Air team is taking to the road to offer free tyre checks to help improve safety and reduce vehicle CO2 emissions, while also helping motorists save cash.

Michelin’s head of communications, Peter Snelling, said: ‘Based on the findings of Michelin's 2009 campaign, if all of the cars in the UK were running on correctly inflated tyres then motorists would save a considerable amount of money and as a result, CO2 emissions would also be reduced.

‘Last year we checked more than 5,000 cars and the results showed that a large percentage of motorists in this country are simply not taking tyre maintenance seriously. This year the Michelin Fill Up With Air campaign is going to be the biggest to date with more than 50 locations included in the tour, so if we’re in your town please take 10 minutes to come in for a free tyre check.”

‘It really is a matter of life and death and people should learn to check their tyres regularly and thoroughly which is what we can help them to do’, he concludes.

Michelin is campaigning to make drivers aware that the wrong tyre pressures can mean tyres wear out more quickly as well as increasing the car’s fuel consumption. With fuel prices at an all-time high it is now more important than ever that people set their tyres to the correct pressure.

The Fill Up with Air Roadshow will be touring the UK and Ireland from May to October.