Deflating Tyres Leak Pennies

Drivers who do not regularly check their tyre pressure could be wasting £6 on every £50 fill up, motor insurance companies have warned.

There are also less tangible costs, with tyre life reduced by almost a third when they are run under-inflated.

"While the safety message surrounding driving with the correct tyre pressure is paramount, in order to encourage drivers to take responsibility we believe drivers need to be hit where it hurts most - the pocket," said a motor insurance spokesman.

"The reality is that unless a tyre is checked once every two weeks a motorist could well be driving an unstable vehicle that is costing them extra."

A recent motor insurance survey estimated that as many as 800,000 of the three million cars in the UK, and one million vans are running on at least one unsafe tyre, with many under or over inflated.

Regular checking can also highlight other problems such as uneven wear which can lead to a tyre blow-out. Also tread depth should be checked as although many people are aware of the minimum of 1.6mm some do not realise that this needs to be in a continuous band around at least three quarters of the tread width.

Be Wiser is a quality provider of Motor Insurance.