Tires and Wheels: Balancing Speed and Style

Top Reasons to Maintain Adequate Tyre Pressure

Car tyres are the point of contact with the road. Therefore, issues to do with braking, speeding, and cornering depend on the condition of your wheels. Pressure is one aspect of a tyre's condition that some motorists ignore. However, it is the last thing you should do because tyre pressure plays a crucial role in car performance. While a mechanic will always remind you to maintain adequate tyre pressure, you don't have to wait for such advice. Here are the top reasons to maintain sufficient tyre pressure. Read on.

Environmental Protection

Very few people understand the relationship between tyre pressure and environmental protection. Notably, tyres with inadequate pressure tend to wear out faster, increasing the number of wheels that end up in landfills despite the initiatives taken to recycle as many tyres as possible. On the other hand, tyres with optimal pressure tend to last longer, meaning very few wheels end up in landfills. Generally, as long as car tyres have adequate pressure, they have a high chance of reaching the end of their service life, minimising the number of old tyres in landfills.

Fuel Economy

The oil industry is one of the most volatile since prices rise and fall at any time or day. Thus, motorists should monitor the amount of fuel they consume. Notably, several factors dictate fuel consumption in cars, one of which is tyre pressure. For instance, the footprint covered by underinflated wheels is more significant, translating to more friction between the rubber and road surface. Consequently, a car engine must work extra hard to spin the wheels, increasing fuel consumption. Therefore, if you cannot explain the sudden high fuel consumption by your car, inspect the tyre pressure since it could be the culprit. It is one of the reasons modern high-end vehicles have sensors to monitor tyre pressure and display the information on the dashboard.

Safety

Overinflated and underinflated tyres significantly affect road safety. With overinflated tyres, the surface area of the tyre in contact with the road at any given time is reduced considerably. It means that such tyres have less grip on the road, affecting car control, especially when braking in wet conditions. Underinflated tyres also cause car control issues, mainly when making tight corners at high speed. In this regard, you should always inflate car tyres to the optimal pressure to improve handling and enhance overall safety.

Talk to a professional if you need help maintaining your tyres


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