Many people get in their cars and just drive wherever they need to go without thinking about how the car functions. There are many parts in a car that enables you to have the comfortable and safe driving experience you strive for. One of those car parts includes the tyres, especially tyre pressure.
The wheels and tyres are certainly an important part because how else would you be able to drive from one place to the next? So the wheels and tyres are important; everyone understands that. But what is the big deal about the tyre pressure?
If you have been driving for a few years then you’ve certainly noticed a taxi or a bakkie on the road that had flat tyres. You probably drove behind one for a fair distance. In most cases the tyres are flat because the load was too heavy and the driver didn’t bother to pump the tyres with air. Yet, they continued to drive. Did you notice that the taxi couldn’t really move much faster? You had to pass it by because the taxi was driving way below the speed limit. The flat tyres instantly decreased the vehicle’s driving efficiency. More acceleration is required to move the vehicle forward and to maintain the forward momentum. If the vehicle has to work harder to gain and maintain a certain speed then you would require more fuel. As a result the vehicle is going much slower but burning more fuel than it should. This acceleration puts a lot of strain on the engine and may cause it to wear out a number of parts.
To avoid burning so much fuel and to prevent the vehicle from working extra hard, it is advisable to check the tyre pressure regularly and to pump the tyres whenever necessary. When the tyres are optimally filled with air, it takes less acceleration to move the vehicle forward. The optimally air filled tyres are able to maintain higher speeds much easier thus optimising fuel efficiency.
Consequently, tyre pressure is a big deal. It is important if you want to be safe, have a pleasant driving experience and to save fuel.
