The document also features surprising statistics on the amount of fuel used as a result of mechanical friction and aerodynamic resistance. The full infographic can be downloaded free of charge as a PDF from the blog section of TyrePal's website.
TyrePal's research includes the findings that 33% of a fully-loaded heavy goods vehicle's fuel usage can be traced back to overcoming the rolling resistance of tyres, but this increases if tyres are under-inflated. If a vehicle’s tyre is under-inflated by 15 pounds per square inch (psi), it can lead to 6% greater fuel consumption and cost increase of up to £150 a year.
“Despite the importance of tyre pressure for fuel economy, a large proportion of all vehicles are driven with under-inflated tyres,” explained Peter Tillotson, business development manager at TyrePal. “The advantages of using a tyre pressure monitoring system are not limited to reducing fuel consumption, but can also minimise the risk of breakdowns and blowouts caused by under-inflated tyres.
“Tyre failure is the most common reason for the breakdown of commercial vehicles. Breakdowns can have an effect on the whole business, leading to disrupted schedules and poor customer service. Most importantly, it also puts drivers' well-being at risk,” he added.
TyrePal's TPMS comprises of a set of sensors, which replace the dust caps on each wheel, and an in-cab monitor that displays the pressure of the tyres simultaneously. TyrePal also supplies a remote monitoring system, TeleTPMS, which allows fleet managers to keep check of the location and tyre pressure of all vehicles from a remote location.