Inflate Your Way to Fuel Savings This Memorial Day

Sky-high gasoline prices will boost the cost of a long weekend road trip this Memorial Day but a simple step can help reduce gas pump sticker shock -- properly checking your tire pressure.

Under inflated tires can cost drivers an additional nine cents per gallon of gas. Properly inflated tires can save you money on gas and vehicle maintenance and promotes safety, too. The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), which represents tire manufacturers, recommends checking tire pressure every month and before long trips.

"Checking tire pressure is simple and takes just five minutes," said Dan Zielinski, RMA vice president, communications. "Motorists will get better fuel economy, their tires will last longer and you'll help maximize your vehicle's safety."

Memorial Day is the start of the so-called "101 Deadliest Days of Summer" when highway fatalities increase as more people hit the road for summer vacations and road trips. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that crashes attributed to under inflated tires cause 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries every year.

A 2007 RMA survey found that too many motorists fail to pay attention to their tires.

- Only 55 percent of drivers say they have checked tire pressure within the past month compared to 70 percent last year.
- Nearly seven in ten drivers wash their vehicle every month but barely more than half check tire pressure monthly.
- 45 percent of drivers wrongly believe that the correct inflation pressure is printed on the tire sidewall. (Check for a sticker on the driver's door or look in the vehicle owner's manual.)
- 26 percent of drivers wrongly believe that the best time to check their tires is when they are warm after being driven for at least a few miles. (Check before driving when tires are cold.)
-- 71 percent of drivers do not check the tire pressure in their spare tire.


The Rubber Manufacturers Association is the national trade association for the rubber products industry. Its members include more than 80 companies that manufacture various rubber products, including tires, hoses, belts, seals, molded goods, and other finished rubber products. RMA members employ over 120,000 workers and account for more than $21 billion in annual sales.

Source: Rubber Manufacturers Association
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