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Goodyear: 30-year-old Oil Embargo Pumps Up Tire Memories

AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 9, 2003 -- If next week's 30th anniversary of the 1973 OPEC Oil Embargo revives memories of long lines at the gas station, voluntary gasoline rationing, the 55-mph national speed limit and the White House Christmas tree that went unlit, how about all those cars and pickup trucks running around on low tires?

While Americans focused on energy-saving ideas during the nation's first energy crisis, low tires were lost in the mix. And neglected tires continue to be, according to engineers at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

Perhaps not much has changed since Oct. 17, 1973. America remains dependent on foreign oil, gas prices rise without notice, lines form at the gas pumps when terror alerts turn orange and cars and trucks still run on tires with low air.

Low tires, however, caught the attention of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the 1970s. NHTSA said half of all cars had under-inflated tires.

That focus continues today.

Running a car with a tire under-inflated by 20 percent -- only 4 to 5 pounds per square inch low -- gulps an extra 10 percent of fuel, said Bill Egan, chief engineer of advanced tire design for Goodyear.

In 1995, the U.S. Energy Department said under-inflated tires wasted a whopping 4 million gallons of gasoline daily in America. "At today's prices and with more vehicles on the road, that's a huge expense," Egan said. "An under-inflated tire deflects more energy and increases rolling resistance, which robs the vehicle of fuel efficiency."

At today's prices ($1.43 per gallon), low tires waste about $342 a year for an SUV owner who fills his 23-gallon gas tank twice a week, he said.

"If anything, the 30th anniversary should give us pause and reflection. America and the world were affected profoundly when OPEC oil ministers agreed to an oil embargo against 'unfriendly' states and a cut in exports," he added.

The oil embargo extended to the Netherlands, Portugal, Rhodesia and South Africa. It ended on March 17, 1974.

The OPEC Oil Embargo brought a wave of drastic change. Alternative energy forms -- solar, wind and nuclear -- became popular. In the United States, year-round daylight saving time went into effect in 1974, and the national speed limit was lowered to 55 miles per hour. In Europe, stores could not keep up with the high demand for bicycles.

Goodyear tire engineers -- then and today -- worked in their laboratories to lower tire rolling resistance, a major contributor in fuel economy. Great inroads in tire technology continue to lower rolling resistance to fuel-stingy levels.

But in the real world, it's often for naught, Egan said. "The energy- wasting neglect of tires from 30 years ago continues today. Just a few minutes of a person's time each month checking their tires would go a long way in conserving energy."

     Consider that:
   - NHTSA found that 27 percent of passenger cars are driven with one or
     more substantially under-inflated tires.  The 2001 survey found that 33
     percent of light trucks had the same problem.
   - This year, the Rubber Manufacturers Association found U.S. drivers are
     more likely to wash their cars than correctly check tire pressure.  The
     survey found that three out of four wash their vehicles at least once a
     month, while only one in seven correctly check tire inflation.
   - Motorists rank tires as the second-most important safety feature in
     vehicles after brakes, and yet only 14 percent check their tires.
   - Goodyear conducted its own parking lot survey, sampling 250 vehicles.
     More than 28 percent had one or more low tires.

Goodyear recommends that motorists check tire inflation monthly or before a long trip. Tires should be inflated to the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation printed on the vehicle's door placard or in the owner's manual, not the maximum stamped on a tire sidewall.

For more tire care tips, go to www.goodyeartires.com/tireschool/safety/tiresafetyguide.pdf .