Stay pumped up and keep costs down

Under-inflated tyres are costing New Zealand motorists thousands of dollars every week in wasted fuel, says tyre company Beaurepaires.

A survey by the firm showed that about 57 per cent of New Zealand passenger cars were running on under-inflated tyres.

"Under-inflated tyres provide significant extra drag on the car," says Andrew Wellgreen, Beaurepaires marketing manager.

"Every 10 per cent under the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tyre pressure costs about 2.5 per cent in extra fuel consumption.

"We know from surveys that very few people regularly check their tyres are at the correct pressure.

"A few minutes once a month spent checking the tyre pressures can save significant dollars at the pump."

The 57 per cent finding is almost twice as bad as that of a similar study in the United States, where 30 per cent of motorists were running on under-inflated tyres.

The US Department of Energy calculated those motorists were collectively wasting 40 million litres of fuel a day.

"Motorists have several ways to reduce fuel consumption - reducing speed and correctly inflating tyres are two steps that cost nothing and can make a tank of fuel stretch much further," said Wellgreen.

"An added bonus of correct tyre pressures is extending the life of the tyre.

"As a rule of thumb, tyre tread life is cut by 15 per cent for every 10 per cent of under-inflation.

"The air is free, the service is free, so it makes no sense not to use it."