Press Release - 19Sep07
Big Brother measures not needed to
manage car emissions
Following recommendations by a Government
Think Tank** that speed limiters be fitted to company
cars, a major new report on motoring waste shows that
‘Big Brother’ measures are not required to achieve big
cuts in carbon emissions from motoring.
“We certainly don’t need to invoke the Nanny State to
achieve massive cuts in carbon emissions from motoring.
They are there for the taking today, if we can better
educate the motorist in the choice and care of vehicle
tyres” says leading expert Tony Bowman, MD of etyres.
“Driving a car doesn’t have to be incompatible with
environmental sensitivity. Looking at the headline
figures, the UK could easily reduce its carbon footprint
by a staggering 5.5 million tonnes per annum if drivers
exercised a little more care.
“We don’t need to resort to ‘spies in the cab’, or
draconian speed limits - motorists have every incentive
to make the relatively small changes necessary, because
we have the potential to cut this country’s motoring
costs by around £3.5 billion a year. Tyres are the
forgotten battleground,” added Bowman.
‘Cutting Motoring Waste’ is available as a free download
from www.etyres.co.uk and is sponsored by etyres, the
leading online tyre retailer. The Report sets out a
simple three point checklist for motorists to follow -
simply ensuring every two or three weeks that tyres
pressures were set at the correct level would save a
staggering £1 billion a year because of the combined
effect of higher rolling resistance on fuel consumption
and shorter tyre life.
ENDS
19 September 2007
Notes to Editors
1 ‘Cutting Motoring Waste’ is an e-report published by
etyres, Britain’s leading online tyre retailer and can
be downloaded free of charge from www.etyres.co.uk.
Comprehensive technical information on tyre
construction, tyre regulations and etyre’s environmental
commitments can also be found on the website. etyres
offer lowest prices with no hidden extras, a free mobile
fitting service and free puncture repairs for customers
2 **The Commission for Integrated Transport published
their report “Transport and Climate Change” on 11
September, 2007, in which it calls for speed limiters to
be fitted to cars, starting with the UK’s two million
company cars.
3 Based on large-scale tyre-check data, Bridgestone’s
European Technical Centre has calculated that 44 per
cent of motorists at risk are losing 20.7 per cent of
tyre wear life – an average of 10.000 km or 9 months of
tyre use (based on an average wear life of 50.000 km and
annual mileage of 13.600 km). 44 per cent of vehicles
face increased fuel consumption of 2.9 per cent, with
under-inflation increasing rolling resistance.
4 More than 90 per cent of drivers run their cars with
under-inflated tyres - the AA has found that 40 per cent
of air pressure gauges in filling stations and garages
are inaccurate.
5 Research by Michelin using UK car fleets has shown
that energy saving tyres can give 25 per cent more
mileage than conventional tyres and reduce fuel
consumption by between 4 and 8 per cent.
 |
