Goodyear Says Rising Gas Prices Fuel Focus on Tire Inflation
21 March 2000
Goodyear Says Rising Gas Prices Fuel Focus on Tire Inflation
AKRON, Ohio, March 21 Motorists keeping a wary eye on the
gas pump numbers should focus their attention on what fills the wheel wells.
Tires play a major role in fuel efficiency, and their importance is
growing as gas prices climb, according to Bill Egan, chief engineer of product
design for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. And their relevance is doubly
so, since millions of tires are run woefully low on air.
U.S. retail gasoline prices reached a new record of $1.527 a gallon last
week, although oil prices slid Monday on expectations that crude oil supplies
will increase. Despite this speculation, the U.S. Energy Department predicts
gasoline prices could reach a national average of $1.80 a gallon this summer.
In 1995, the Energy Department said underinflated tires waste an estimated
4 million gallons of gas daily in America. "That can be expensive at these
prices. An underinflated tire deflects more energy and increases rolling
resistance, which robs the vehicle of fuel efficiency," Egan said.
After a season of neglect, motorists need to check tire inflation monthly,
before a long trip or after a big temperature change. Tires should be
inflated to the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations printed on the
vehicle's door placard or in the owner's manual, not the maximum limit stamped
on a tire sidewall, Egan said.
The biggest misconception, he said, about tire inflation is to pump it up
to the number on the sidewall. Maximum inflation may affect vehicle handling
and traction and make for a harsher ride.
"Too often, we instruct motorists to inflate their tires to the proper
pressure without defining what's proper," he said. "Also, some service
stations and quick-service oil-change shops, which don't work specifically on
tires, often get it wrong."
Egan recommended that motorists visit their nearest Goodyear retailer for
a free tire inflation check.
Increased tire deflection also cuts tire life by about 10 percent for
every 10 percent the tire is underinflated. For example, an average
passenger-car tire could lose about one-third of its life at 20 pounds per
square inch of inflation.
Up for debate is the severity of the tire low-inflation problem, he said.
In the 1970s, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claimed that
half the nation's cars had underinflated tires. Other studies stated that 25
to 28 percent had at least one tire "seriously underinflated" (4 psi or more
below manufacturer's recommendation).
Goodyear conducted its own parking lot survey, sampling 250 vehicles or
1,000 tires. More than 28 percent of the vehicles had one or more low-on-air
tires.
The wary eye on tires may lead to better consumer understanding. For
example, consumers may choose to replace worn tires with the tires that came
on their new vehicle. Egan said most original-equipment tires are optimized
for low-rolling resistance, which converts into improved fuel economy.
Low rollers, as they're called, are only part of the equation, however.
Proper tire inflation is paramount to saving money at the gas pump. An
underinflated low roller defeats the purpose in saving fuel, he said.
U.S. light crude prices have hovered close to $30 per barrel as producer
supply cuts continue to eat into stocks. Oil prices have tripled from a year
ago, due to export cuts of more than 5 million barrels per day by the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Traders said they expect OPEC at its March 27 meeting in Vienna to agree
to output increases, but by less than the 2 million barrels per day many
analysts estimate is needed to return the market to equilibrium.
"Whatever OPEC decides, it is unlikely to help the United States resolve
its looming gasoline crunch," the London-based Center for Global Energy
Studies said. "U.S. gasoline prices are likely to go higher still."
Despite the reliance on OPEC ministers to open the oil spigot, Egan said
consumers may control their own destinies -- with tire care. If just half of
the 28 percent of motorists who regularly ignore tire inflation begin monthly
maintenance, the gas shortfall and resulting price increases may be kept in
check.
