T2.4 Vehicle efficiency outreach *
Develop educational campaigns about benefits (reduced GHG emissions, increased fuel efficiency, safety) of properly inflated tires, including signage at gas stations and local businesses and partnering with schools.
The Department of Energy’s fuel economy website says you can improve your gas mileage by 0.6% on average—up to 3% in some cases—by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. (They also say that fixing a car that’s noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its mileage by an average of 4%, and that fixing a serious maintenance problem such as a faulty oxygen sensor can improve mileage by as much as 40%.)
The Pima County Environmental Quality Department runs a Tire Inflation Education Contest & Campaign. (They claim that you can likely save about $400 a year by keeping your tires properly inflated. Since an average car might go 12,000 miles a year and get 22 mpg, if gas cost $3.50 a gallon you’d spend $1,900 a year on it; $400 would be a 21% reduction in your fuel use, which seems very unlikely, even if we count some savings from tire wear.)