Little-known car mistake ‘costing Brits £112 million a YEAR” – but it can be fixed in minutes for free

BRITS are losing out on £112 million a year thanks to a little-known car mistake, the motoring watchdog has revealed.

Motorists may not realise that missing a quick, easy and free maintenance job could be costing them massively in the long run.

2

2

New research from The Motor Ombudsman has discovered a silent car killer which is hitting drivers hard in the pocket.

The organisation estimates that under-inflated tyres are seeing £112 million wasted annually.

And data from the British Tyre Manufacturers' Association suggests that more than half of cars in the UK have severely under-pumped tyres.

This works out to about 19 million motors on our roads with tyre pressures at least 10% under what they should be.

Not only does this increase the chance of punctures and blowouts, but it also increases wear and tear on the rubber, meaning they tyres have to be replaced more frequently.

Even worse, it increases rolling resistance, hurting your fuel economy and sending fuel bills up.

Between that and the fact that the average sized tyre costs around £85 to replace, the total loss works out to a collective £122 million a year.

Thankfully, the quick fix for an under-inflated tyre takes just minutes and is completely free.

Most petrol stations offer air pumps for use by customers at no charge.

All you have to do is check your owner's manual or look online to find out the recommended pressures for your car and then take a trip to the forecourt to fill them up.

Or if you want to check them at home, you can buy the AA's digital pressure gauge on Amazon for less than £10 and use a basic pump to get the pressure up.

Bill Fennell, Chief Ombudsman for motoring, said: "Under-inflated tyres carry a number of risks and costs. 

"Avoiding any unnecessary expense is especially pertinent with the current financial pressures on the nation’s motorists."

And Stuart Lovatt, chair of TyreSafe, added: "Under-inflation compromises tyre and vehicle performance, and can ultimately cost drivers and vehicle owners dearly, as The Motor Ombudsman study has clearly shown. 

"We strongly urge motorists to observe the pressure levels recommended by vehicle manufacturers.

"This is because, they have been calculated with absolute precision to ultimately keep vehicle users safe when on the road."