Under pressure

Today's go green tip comes to us courtesy of my dear friend Liz Crowley in Charleston, SC. Make it a habit to check the pressure in your tires once per month, during cold weather, and before a long trip. Have your tires balanced and rotated every 5,000-8,000 miles. Here are some more facts:

• Properly inflated tires can save $0.05 per gallon on gas


• 5% under inflation increases fuel consumption by 1%, and it releases 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide


• Maintaining proper tire pressure generates less scrap tires


• Tire pressure is the single greatest cause of tire damage and failure


• A well-tended tire can last 40,000-80,000 miles
  

In layman's terms, when tires are not inflated properly, they are less round and require more energy to start moving and maintain speed. This results in more pollution and gas consumption. For more information on checking the pressure in your tires, go to http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoAirPressure.do.