Why is Maintaining Proper Air Pressure Important?
Tyres rely on the pressure of the air within them to keep them resilient and taught. Without a high pressure, the tire would splay as it came into contract with the ground, having numerous consequences to do with fuel-efficiency and tyre-life. Problems can also occur if tires are over-inflated. Therefore it is vital that driver's make sure that the tyre has the correct pressure to avoid the danger of having a tyre burst and to save money, and do avoid issues like children being in the front seat.
Safety
If tyres are under-inflated, they can reduce the traction which they have with the road. This will increase the likelihood of the car loosing control and being involved in a crash. This effect is worse if the tyres are inflated asymmetrically across the car, which can lead to problems like 'understeer', when the front tyres are under-inflated, because the car's steering does not have enough traction, and 'oversteer' when the rear tyres are under-inflated, causing the back end to spin out.
In addition, under-inflated tyres will flex more as they move across the road-surface. The effect of this flexing will cause it to heat up. Hot tyres are more likely to burst.
An over-inflated tyre is of a shape which minimises the contact with the road, which can cause similar steering problems as with under-inflated tyres. The shape which is formed by an over-inflated tyre also causes a risk of damage. This is because only the centre most portion of the tire will come into contact with the road, leading to greater wear on that section, which, if undiscovered, may wear through.
Economy
In addition, because of the aforementioned improper wearing patterns of over or under-inflated tyres, they will need replacing more often. It is important to replace tyres when they are worn, as not doing so risks an road accident. Tyres are quite expensive to purchase, so it is important to reduce the number of unnecessary purchases as far as is possible.
In addition, because of the increased resistance in the case of of under-inflated tyres and reduced traction in the case of over-inflated tyres, it will simply take more energy to cause the car to move along. The effect of this is to cause the motorist to get fewer miles per gallon, which can cause them a great deal of expense. In addition, less efficient driving releases more of the greenhouse gas CO2, which should be a concern for the environmentally conscious motorist.
Tyres should be checked for pressure at least every month, perhaps more in hot weather when the air is under greater pressure due to the heat causing it to escape from the tyre. Tyre pressure gauges, which attach to the air cap of the tyre are easy to get and are comparatively inexpensive. Motorists may also wish to purchase their own tyre pump, which can often be plugged into the cars cigar-lighter socket, to avoid having to pay a mechanic to inflate the tyres. The precise pressure to which tyres should be inflated can usually be found under the fuel cap or on the inside end of the passenger's door.
The risks associated with having improperly inflated tyres are to strong not to take action, especially as checking tyres regularly can be so simply and quick. In addition, keeping tyres at the correct pressure has so many advantages in terms of increased safety and cost saving, such as on car insurance savings, is a exceedingly cheep way of saving on costs. Finally, it is the driver's own responsibility to keep their tyres at the correct pressure, so they should do so to keep in line with the law.