MOST company motorists are driving cars and vans with incorrect tyre pressures, new research suggests.

It found that a staggering 99.9% of drivers are adding more than £14 to the cost of each new tyre for their vehicles by having to have them replaced prematurely.

Michelin, which carried out the study, also warns that having incorrect tyre pressures is a three-penalty-points offence.

A spokesman said: 'The big trouble is drivers not checking at all, those adjusting pressures when tyres are hot instead of cold and tyre fitters failing to refer to car handbooks.

'They work off trade tyre pressure charts that grow out of date or are not specific to model changes. Under-inflation is enemy No 1.'

The company claims that premature replacement costs UK plc an average £34 per year per car. It is now joining forces with business vehicle management specialist Fleet Support Group (FSG) to provide a tyre monitoring service.

A nationwide garage check is currently under way on nearly 200,000 car and van tyres. Each check is being computer logged recording inflation, wear, damage, neglect, reason for replacement and mileage.

FSG technical director Julian Bailey-Watts said: 'Tyres are the largest expense in business car maintenance costs. Typically running pressures are 16% low averaging a cash loss of £11 per tyre.'

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