If you're a European driver, the odds are 19 in 20 your tires are making global warming worse. Some 93.5 percent of EU drivers' tires need more air, Bridgestone Europe has found, and the extra fuel they use as a result adds 18.4 million tons of CO2 to the atmosphere each year — 6.9 grams for every kilometer driven. About 40 percent have tires so underinflated that they burn 2.8 percent more fuel than they need — about 8.1 billion liters (2.14 billion gallons) a year. 12 percent were in danger of tire failure.
It's worth noting that low tire pressure has an adverse effect on durability as well as fuel consumption and vehicle handling — enough that those 40 percent are having to replace their tires about 9 months sooner.
[Source: Bridgestone Europe via Green Car Congress]
