Drivers could waste million litres of fuel completely unnecessarily this Easter weekend. Halfords says that’s around a whopping 30 fuel trucks worth of fuel.
Having incorrectly inflated tyres can have a significant impact on how fuel efficient a car is, affecting fuel consumption by up to 3%. The experts at Halfords have crunched the numbers to work out just how much this is going to cost Brits this Easter – and how much fuel is being wasted.
How many are going away this Easter – and how many miles are they driving?
The new Halfords research shows that nine in ten motorists (88%) will be hitting the roads this bank holiday weekend – driving an average of 68.5 miles each. Based upon the 39 million Brits who have a driving licence, this means that 2.7 billion miles are set to be driven.
However, when they set off, more than one in ten (11%) of those going away say that they will not have topped their tyres up with air in four months or more – and do not plan to do so before they leave. Given the average tyre loses around 1 PSI of pressure each month, this means they will likely be underinflated – reducing the fuel efficiency of the car. Therefore, out of the 2.7 billion miles being driven this Easter Bank Holiday, 293,701,792 of these miles will be by vehicles with underinflated tyres.
How much money and fuel is being wasted?
Based on current fuel prices and average fuel consumption in UK cars, it costs 17.66p in fuel for every mile driven. This means that those with underinflated tyres will be spending £51 million to fuel their car. But given that their incorrectly inflated tyres will be impacting their efficiency by around three per cent, they will be wasting £1.5 million worth of fuel – a massive 1,051,373 litres.
The figures do not include the 19% of drivers who say they have not topped up their tyres in the past four months – but plan to before they go away. This means that only 68% of UK drivers had correctly-inflated tyres at the time of the research.
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Amongst those who say they’ve not filled their tyres with air in the past four months, a third (32%) say they’ve simply not checked. Meanwhile 28% say they are relying on a monitor or sensor in their car to tell them if they need filling up. And three per cent of motorists say they never top up their tyres – waiting for their MOT or service, regardless of their state. This could not only cost them money, but lead to more dangerous vehicles on the roads.
Why do under-inflated tyres impact fuel consumption – and what are the other dangers?
Underinflated tyres have an increased footprint on the road, which in turn increases friction, and as such, makes them less efficient. This isn’t the only issue – underinflated tyres can also cause overheating, which can lead to premature wear, tread separation, and eventually even a blowout.
Andy Turbefield, head of quality at Halfords, said: “We’re in a cost of living crisis currently and everyone is feeling the pinch – meaning many will have an extra eye on their spending when they go on their Easter getaway this year. But one way motorists can save themselves a bit of cash is to ensure they keep their tyres properly inflated. We’ve highlighted the cost over one bank holiday weekend – but the costs over the course of a year really mount up.
“And furthermore, underinflated tyres get worn down quicker – meaning they’ll need replacing sooner, and that is a more significant cost. And of course, if left underinflated for long enough, the dangers are to more than just your wallet – it could eventually lead to a blow out. And what’s more, wasting fuel just isn’t good for the environment. We know that not everyone is confident when it comes to checking their tyres – so on our website, motorists can book a free tyre check, to ensure that they are not just the right pressure, but will ensure the tread is also ok.”
