Air in tires: A political and money issue

Who knew that inflating tires would be such an issue between the presidential candidates? However, when Republican John McCain criticized his Democratic challenger Barack Obama, stating that proper tire inflation wasn't enough for energy independence, it touched off a firestorm of controversy.

Research has shown that a properlyinflated tire is a way to help manage fuel consumption. This would save millions of oil barrels per year and would mean more money in people's pockets rather than money at the gas pumps.

For the consumers who are trying to save, properly inflated tires do seem the way to go. With gas prices well over $3 a gallon, savvy consumers are seeking to increase fuel economy and the life of their wheels by paying more attention to their tires.

"Tires that are underinflated by just six to seven pounds per square inch can reduce vehicle fuel economy by as much as 2 percent and tire tread wear can also be reduced by as much as 10 percent," says Mark Chung of Yokohama Tire Corporation, which manufactures tires for passenger cars, SUVs, buses, trucks and airplanes. "Correct tire inflation pressure also reduces tire fatigue which maximizes the tire's service life."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 66 million vehicles have underinflated tires, which literally means more rubber is hitting the road and, accordingly, miles per gallon is lessened. With an average of 12,000 miles driven annually on tires that are underinflated by 5 to 8 PSI, and a vehicle average of 22 miles per gallon, tire experts speculate that about 726 million gallons of gas are wasted annually by U.S. drivers, or about $2 billion, simply because they're driving on underinflated tires.