Attention: Your tire pressure is definitely lower than it should be! See why

Nowadays, the air pressure in the tires of most cars is lower than it should be, and the reason is very simple.

Tire pressure is a factor of decisive importance for the correct performance of our car, both in terms of road behavior and fuel consumption. That is why it is good to check often, every 2-3 weeks, that we have the correct tire pressure. Of course at a gas station or with our own pressure gauge, and not by eye or by... kicking the tire, since these methods always lead to wrong conclusions.

However, these days even the cars of the most diligent among us may have much lower air pressure than they should. And the explanation is simple. Air pressure is directly dependent on temperature. A 10 degree Celsius drop in ambient temperature can translate to even 2 psi lower pressure, with no air loss.

In recent mornings, the temperature in Athens has been dropping even below 10 degrees C, while just a few days ago, when someone might have last checked their tires, it might have been over 25 degrees C. This difference means lower pressure by at least 3 psi, not counting other factors that may have caused a tire to lose even more air. And of course, the longer someone has to check their tires, the bigger the difference they will discover!

In modern cars with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), if it is set correctly, it may already have rung the bell prompting the driver to take care of the correct tire pressure. But in the old ones, he will have to deal with it himself.

Leaving the tires with lower air pressure than recommended results in worse road handling, increased tire wear, higher fuel consumption and an increased risk of derailment. And since air is free, there's no reason to delay checking it out!