A study by The Motor Ombudsman, the Ombudsman for the automotive sector, has revealed that drivers using their cars with tyres that are inflated below vehicle manufacturer recommended levels, is costing the nation’s motorists at least £112 million annually in wasted rubber.
As well as presenting many hidden dangers, and increasing fuel consumption, running with less air than needed – also known as ‘under-inflation’, means that tyres wear out far quicker than they should, thereby reducing their lifespan.
Furthermore, as part of The Motor Ombudsman study, a survey of 1,000 UK car drivers was also carried out to gauge their level of confidence when it comes to maintaining a car.
The findings showed that more than a third of respondents (37%) said they would not feel comfortable topping up the air in their tyres, which may be due to leaving them under or over-inflated, whilst over half (51%) explained they would shy away from measuring the tread depth to ensure it was above the legal limit of 1.6mm.