Simple Way to Reduce Gas Consumption Overlooked By Many Car Owners

National Survey Asks People About How They Plan to Conserve Fuel and the Types of Do-it-Yourself Jobs They do on Their Cars

PHILADELPHIA, April 7 -- With the price of gasoline soaring, few Americans seem likely to increase the frequency of a simple maintenance task to improve fuel economy -- checking the tire pressure on their vehicles.

That was one of the key findings of a new national survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of SCOTT(R)Shop Towels on a Roll.

The national telephone survey was undertaken in conjunction with National Car Care Month (April). It polled 849 adults who own or lease a vehicle about a variety of auto maintenance topics including the types of do-it-yourself jobs performed on cars, the state of car interiors, and the psychological lift provided by a clean and shiny vehicle.

While 61 percent of respondents reported checking the tire pressure on their cars, only 3 percent said they would be most likely to do it more often to conserve gasoline.

"Proper tire air pressure can improve gas mileage by more than 3 percent, so this easy maintenance task can help people reduce gasoline consumption at a time when the price of gas is so high," said Paul Feuerstein, marketing director for SCOTT(R) Shop Towels on a Roll.

By contrast, nearly one third of respondents said they were most likely to keep their vehicles "well-maintained" to increase fuel efficiency. Twenty-nine percent said they would drive less frequently, 9 percent said they would purchase less-expensive or lower-grade gasoline, and just 8 percent said they would car pool. Three percent said they would drive more slowly and 2 percent said they would catch rides with other people. Twelve percent said they would do "absolutely nothing."

However, when it comes to basic car maintenance and appearance tasks, people who do nothing are clearly in the minority. A very healthy 83 percent of those surveyed reported that they perform some vehicle maintenance jobs themselves. These numbers were even higher among men (90 percent) and 18-to- 24-year-olds. Ninety-seven percent in this age group reported doing vehicle maintenance themselves.

Topping the list of choices for respondents overall were vacuuming or cleaning the interior (76 percent), washing and waxing and checking tire pressure (tied at 61 percent), followed by changing the oil and filter (32 percent) and rotating tires, brake work and other jobs (22 percent).

Cleaning up After the Job

After an auto maintenance job is completed, more than half of the respondents said they went inside to "wash up," while nearly one-quarter use some kind of towel to wipe their hands. Of these, 8 percent use a disposable shop towel, the same amount use a rag or towel, and 7 percent use a kitchen paper towel. Three percent use a garden hose and a small but sloppy group -- 2 percent -- wipe their hands on their shirts.

Dirty clothes led the list of what people like least about working on their vehicles, at 36 percent. This was followed by dirty hands (21 percent), having to go inside to wash up (8 percent), and slippery hands (6 percent).

That Clean Car Feeling

While finding ways to improve fuel consumption may not be a top priority for most car owners, having a clean car seems to be. Almost half the respondents said driving a car that has just been washed, waxed or shined led them to feel "just great" or made them enjoy driving more. Thirty-five percent said it had no effect and 19 percent said they worried about rain after their car was cleaned. Women tended to fret more about the possibility of rain, as did 18-to-34-year olds.

The survey results also contradicted common stereotypes about the state of car interiors. More than half the respondents described the inside of their cars as "reasonably clean." Sixteen percent went so far as to boast that they were "clean enough to eat off," while 19 percent said they were only slightly messy. More men than women referred to their cars as "portable offices" -- 9 percent for males versus 5 percent for females. And 25-to-44- year-olds were more apt to view car interiors as "family playpens" -- 10 percent versus 6 percent of all respondents. One result seemed to provide further proof that appearance really does matter to car owners. Only 1 percent of respondents selected the worst description to describe their car's interior -- "filled with trash and smelling like it."

Survey Methodology

The national telephone survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of SCOTT(R) Shop Towels on a Roll. It was undertaken from March 20-23, 2003. The margin of error is plus or minus three percent.

SCOTT(R) Shop Towels on a Roll are a product of the Kimberly-Clark Do-it- Yourself Business, based in Philadelphia. The Kimberly-Clark Do-it-Yourself Business provides professional solutions for home improvement and car care projects to make fixing up and cleaning up fast, easy and efficient.

(R) Registered Trademarks/(TM) Trademarks of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide or its Affiliates.