A study conducted by TyreSafe* revealed Britain’s motorists could be spending up to £600 million on unnecessary fuel bills. Research** suggests as many as 57% of car and van tyres on the roads are being driven below recommended inflation pressures, increasing vehicles’ fuel consumption and the risk of being involved in an incident.
Regularly checking your tyres is really important and here's why...
- The pressurised air inside the tyre is what helps to support the weight of your vehicle and its load. Having under-inflated tyres can compromise this and reduces handling and grip.
- On high-speed motorway journeys, there is higher risk of a dangerous blowout.
- Keeping your tyres at the optimum pressure can also reduce running costs.
- 35% of tyres are being driven at least 8psi below the vehicle manufacturers’ recommendation.
- Air pressure has a decisive influence on the way your vehicle accelerates, brakes and corners.
- Safe tyres with the correct air pressure can reduce the risks to you, your passengers and all road users.
- 3% more fuel is used when pressure is 6psi below recommended inflation.
- For every 10% a tyre is under-inflated, its wear can increase by 10%.
- £600 million is wasted yearly on fuel costs by British motorists driving with under-inflated tyres.
- 56.8% of car tyres in the UK are at least 4psi below recommended pressures.
Stay safe and get yours checked for free at Heritage Volkswagen
- Exhaustive tyre check by Volkswagen-trained experts of all your tyres (including the spare).
- Essential for responsive steering and safe braking.
- Like-for-like replacements recommended, if necessary.
- No hard sell – if your Volkswagen tyres are still fine, we promise to tell you.
Know when you're out of your depth
When slowing from 70mph, the stopping distance difference between a 3mm depth and the legal limit of 1.6mm depth is 44m. That's the length of four double decker buses! It's important to remember that your tyres are the only thing connecting you to the road and at any one time you have only four hand-sized pieces of tread contact.
Check your tread | how to check your tyre pressure
Make sure you check your tyre tread in three places on each tyre, as they may wear differently. If you don't have a tread depth gauge, use a 20p piece: simply place the coin in the groove of the tyre and if you can see the outer edge of the coin, it means your tread depth is less than 3mm and you should consider replacing that tyre.