80 percent of Europe's cars drive on under-inflated tyres
ERJ staff report (DS)
Brussels -- Findings from safety checks conducted on 52,400 cars in 15 E.U. countries in 2009 show that 81 percent of motorists are driving on under-inflated tyres. This habit is leading to the annual equivalent of 4.0 billion litres of wasted fuel, worth €5.2 billion, and 9.3 million tons of additional and unnecessary CO2 emissions - the equivalent of 3.47 g/km of CO2 a year for every car on Europe's roads.
The 52,400 tyre safety checks were conducted by Bridgestone at shopping centres and public car parks throughout Europe during 2009. They form part of the “Think Before You Drive†road safety education campaign launched in 2005: a worldwide joint initiative between the FIA Foundation (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), Bridgestone Corporation and national motoring clubs.
Analysis of these test results show that 26.5 percent of motorists are driving on seriously under-inflated tyres (at least 0.5 bar below vehicle constructor recommended pressure) and 7.5 percent are putting their safety at high risk by driving on severely under-inflated tyres (at least 0.75 bar below recommended pressure).
Almost 17 percent of tyres on the road are also worn down below the E.U. legal minimum of 1.6 mm tread depth. Around 9 percent of inspected tyres are both severely worn and severely under inflated.
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Press release from Bridgestone
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