Ideal Bite

Are your tires under pressure?

Submitted by tmeronek on Thu, 06/28/2007 - 1:01am.

The Bite:

If so, your gas mileage could be worse than your performance in yogilates class. Keep your tires properly inflated to save gas and cash - just watch out for the inflated ego that comes from being the coolest eco kid on the block.

The Benefits:

Cleaner air. Proper inflation can keep 383 lbs of CO2 out of the air each year.
More money in your pocket. Improve gas mileage by about 3%, and save up to 7 cents per gallon.
Longer-lasting tires. Extend the life of your tires by as much as 15%.
Safer driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says underinflated tires result in 660 deaths each year.

Personally Speaking:

Heather's looking for a man who'll get down on his hands and knees...and check her tire pressure. Jen calls that lazy and feels empowered at the air pump.

Wanna Try:

Accu-gage Tire Pressure Gauge - any gauge'll do, but we like this one's easy-to-read dial ($10).
Look for the pounds per square inch (PSI) number on your tire (or in your owner's manual), and check the pressure in your tires monthly. If it's low, roll on into a gas station or tire center to pump it up.