It's been a while since we've mentioned basic tire safety, but with the latest research from Michelin and Kwikfit showing four in 10 motorists are running on dangerously under inflated tires, it's as good as time as any to remind everyone to check their tire pressures.

Under inflated tires are an issue for many reasons. An under inflated tire can give poor handling, unpredictable car behaviour, lower overall grip, wear the tires out prematurely, cause the tires to fail, and reduces fuel economy. It only takes 2 minutes to check tire pressures with a dedicated digital tire pressure gauge, so there's no excuse not to do it every couple of weeks.

While checking pressures, you can also visually inspect your tires to ensure there's no unexpected damage and that the tires still have good tread remaining. Keeping your tires in a good condition is the first step to safe motoring.

Here's the full press release from Michelin.

Four in 10 motorists using “dangerous” or “very dangerous” tires

Almost 40 per cent of cars in the UK are running on at least one tire that is “dangerously” or “very dangerously” underinflated. 

The figures come after Michelin and Kwik Fit inspected more than 500 vehicles in Tesco car parks around the UK.

Michelin classifies tires that are between 7psi and 14psi below the manufacturer’s recommendation as “dangerously underinflated”, while 14 psi or more underinflation is deemed to be “very dangerous.”

Michelin and Kwik Fit technicians found 27.56 per cent of cars had at least one dangerous tire, with 12.01 per cent having at least one very dangerous tire. Jamie McWhir, technical manager for Michelin in the UK, said: “Driving around on underinflated tires costs money and it can cost lives. “We wanted to team up with Kwik Fit to encourage motorists to check their tire pressures regularly. It makes sense from a cost and environmental point of view, but more importantly it’s critical for the safety of the vehicle, its passengers, other road users and pedestrians.”

Running a car with tires underinflated by 7psi decreases fuel efficiency by about one mile per gallon. Michelin estimates that underinflated tires could be costing motorists in a city the size of Manchester more than £2 million a year in unnecessary fuel consumption – as
well as pumping thousands of tonnes of additional CO2 into the atmosphere.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: “Checking tire pressure is as important as checking tread depth, as tires at the wrong pressure will compromise handling, grip and braking. As well as the significant safety issues, incorrectly inflated tires will hit drivers in the pocket through excessive fuel consumption and increased tire wear. “It’s worth reflecting on the fact that a car’s tires are the only thing to connect it with the road and we urge motorists to check their air pressure, tire condition and tread depth every fortnight.”