Green Tires Sacrifice Safety

In the rush for more environmentally friendly technology to lower gasoline consumption and car emissions, other methods can be overlooked. Take fuel-efficient tires, which the California Energy Commission has praised for their ability to lower gasoline consumption; apparently, they could reduce California consumption by as much as 100 million gallons per year if every resident owned a set.

However, as Autopia points out, fuel-efficient tires come at a price, and the currency used here is safety. What the Energy Commission is talking about are low-rolling-resistance tires, which manage to save fuel by limiting contact between the tire and the pavement, otherwise known as the “contact patch.”

A lower contact patch means tires are more prone to skidding and slipping. The slimmer the tire, the worse it holds the road, even if it increases fuel economy. Trading safety for efficiency seems like a strange way to chase higher mpg, especially when 100 million gallons spread over a year is barely more than a drop in the bucket. According to the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. consumes 388 million gallons of gas a day.

Green Tires Could Cost You Your Life (Autopia)

Comments

the key to this whole energy thing is balance. i drive a 07 honda civic ex, that is non-hybrid, and i feel like im doing my part to saving the enivorment. the key to reduce gas conssumption is to get people to drive smaller cars that more closely fit their needs. My honda civic is plenty of car for me, and most people should buy more carefully. but its people choice

#1 and EASIEST solution to this "so-called" and "not-verified" problem:

SLOW DOWN!!!

Don't drive over the speed limit. In fact, if we slow down the fwy speed from 65 mi/hr to 60 mi/hr, or even 55 mi /hr, you saved a lot of fuel already. Of 'coz, none of us want to drive slower, although it's legal to drive @ 55 mi/hr on a 65 mi/hr fwy. All we know is drive faster - 75 mi/hr, or even 90 mi/hr for many of us!

alex,

I am doing the same as you are, but people driving around me just don't think the same. Especially those who has a bumper sticker that reads: Out of a job yet? Keep Buying Foreign!
Apparently they have yet realize their product does not give as good mileage as what we paid for.

BTW, I put 35 psi on all 4 of my tires instead of the recommended 32.

Dave,
Something technical is wrong on this blog today, it is displaying all the recent posts that are all the way back to labor day, and makes the browser crawl when scrolling through.

Thanks J we're looking into it.

I had a problem posting 40 minutes ago. This is my second attempt to post.

When I punched the "preview box," it was telling me everything had been posted. In fact, the posting time and my name were there. I had a feeling there was a malfunction somewhere, and I didn't want to have a double post. I turned my computer off, and then turned it back on.

I agree! Slow down! Slow down!

I wish everyone would drive like they drive during a blizzard. Everyone slows down and they're extremely cautious.

Driving the speed limit on freeways, 55 mph, is actually dangerous, because everyone zooms around you.

I wish there was a higher penalty, if drivers are caught speeding. I know your insurance rates go up with a speeding ticket but I don't know how much. I wish insurance rates would double or even triple with a speeding ticket. With much higher insurance rates, drivers would reduce their speed and there would be less accidents and more fuel conservation.

I, too, have my tires inflated at 33 psi, and I check them every week. I think quite a few drivers seldom check their tires.

ZB,
It does not make a huge difference by increasing the fines and premium. It is more fundamental: People need to retake a driving class every once a while, and make sure the teachers are actually driving like the way they should!

First the artcle states 100 million gallons of fuel would be saved each year if everyone in California had them, then goes on to say 388 million gallons of fuel are consumed every day in the U.S., i suppose to make the point that it's not much. However that stats don't match, and only if you use the same populations for both does it mean anything. In this case i'll just multiply the population of California by 9 to match the second statistic, and that 100 million gallons a year is more like 900 million a year across the U.S.

Now the fuel savings can't be ignored.

J,

I do hope drivers slow down, after receiving a speeding ticket. It should change their driving a bit. Should!

I think one of the big things that causes drivers to speed is when they're running late. You're late for work, etc., and you drive recklessly--speeding and running red lights.

Hello over-zealous "greenies." This is not the answer. Your contact patch is the only place where your car has some control over where it's going. You'd be better off, and probably safer removing a few of your car's 6-7 airbags (compared with putting on a smaller footprint tire) Take out some of the crap you carry around in your trunk. Or better yet, quit driving a tank of a car Volvo or the SUV that you never leave the pavement in.

ZB,
Personal experience.
Rode with a buddy (I was the passenger), got a ticket for 55 on 45, he sped right back up as soon as the cop let him go.

J,

The cop is a beautiful lady, and your buddy wants to get another ticket from her.

Nope, the cop was an you-know-what-hole. And my bud is a retard.

I think I'd be riding with a different buddy. He doesn't sound like a good driver.

I've come to the conclusion that it's risky being a passenger in a car, especially with a driver you don't know. So many people have poor driving skills. Add a cell phone in the mix, and it could spell disaster.

Princess Diana and Dottie West would still be here, if not for poor driving skills. David Halberstam died within the last year or so. He was riding with someone, but I don't know if poor driving skills were the cause of that accident.

I ain't riding with anyone I don't know. I've had several bad experiences within the past year.

So, what they are saying is that we should pay more for a tire that gives us less traction???
For a nominal difference in economy, I think it is far more important to have a car that sticks to the road. I think you will agree, the next time a little kid chasing a ball runs in front of your car, and your "low rolling resistance" tires slip and slide right over that youngster.

Buy [url=http://rxvid.us/item.php?group_id=131&id=177][b][size=10]Levitra[/size][/b][/url] in Professional Drugstore! US Drugstore is the most trusted online pharmacy. You dont have to worry about the quality of our drugs, we want to assure you that we provide you with the best possible quality for affordable prices. [url=http://rxvid.us/item.php?group_id=131&id=177][img]http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg325/pharmapic/Levitra.jpg[/img][/