Tires generally perform so reliably that people take them for granted. But to do their job right, tires need regular maintenance.

Safety

Tires are your only contact with the pavement. Under or over-inflated tires will cause handling problems. Your tires may not accelerate, brake or steer properly. Other safety devices such as Antilock Braking Systems (ABS), Traction Control Systems (TCS) and stability control systems may not function correctly with tires that are not properly inflated.

For more information on tire maintenance, please view the Autosmart Fact Sheet Series (PDF: 428 Kb).

Climate Change and the Environment

Tire inflation impacts climate change and the environment. Every litre of fuel consumed by a vehicle results in 2.4 kg of carbon dioxide being released into the environment. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Proper tire inflation helps increase fuel efficiency thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Improper tire maintenance practices collectively cost Canadians approximately $500 million a year and cause 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere.

In addition to increased fuel consumption, improper tire maintenance also shortens the life of your tires. Replacing your tires more often means that more tires go to landfills or recycling and more energy is then used to produce new tires or to recycle them. Again, this has an impact on climate change, the environment and our health. Canadians dispose of 28 million used tires every year, many of which end up in landfills.

By adopting a few simple tire maintenance steps into your monthly routine, you can help reduce vehicle fuel consumption and the release of harmful emissions, as well as reduce the number of tires that end up in landfills or at the tire recycling plants.