Tire dealers and auto repair service providers in California will be required to check the tire pressure of every vehicle they service starting July 1, 2010, thanks to a regulation that was recently adopted by the California Environmental Protection Agency's Air Resources Board.
Some 40,000 service providers will be subject to this regulation, according to the board. Car wash, body and paint, and glass repair businesses are excluded.
The agency believes the mandatory tire pressure check rule will eliminate 700,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the state's fuel consumption by 75 million gallons, and extend "the average tire's useful life by 4,700 miles."
The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) supports the regulation. Spokesman Dan Zielinksi says it will "help protect California's environment, help consumers save money in fuel and tire costs, and help Californians optimize vehicle safety."
The board estimates that the cost of implementing the new regulation "balanced with the benefits from the measures" will save each Californian $12 per year.
"About 38% of vehicles on the road in California today have severely underinflated tires, six pounds under manufacturer's recommendations."
The Air Resources Board has been charged with the task of drafting and enacting strategies that will reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, the board proposed a "low carbon fuel standard," a regulation that seeks to curb greenhouse gas emissions from all of the state's vehicles.
