Tire inflation: From campaign joke to California rule

By Don Thompson
Associated Press
Posted: 03/26/2009

SACRAMENTO — An issue that briefly brought President Barack Obama ridicule on the campaign trail last year is gaining traction in California, where air regulators are seeking to mandate proper tire inflation as a way to reduce fuel consumption.

The state Air Resources Board today adopted a resolution requiring auto repair shops to check tire pressure every time drivers bring in their vehicle for maintenance, oil changes and smog tests. The next step is to develop detailed rules to implement the mandate, which will take effect in July 2010.

Regulators say widespread awareness of having properly inflated tires could lead to California motorists saving 75 million gallons of gasoline a year and using 700,000 fewer tires.

Last summer, Republicans mocked then-candidate Obama for suggesting that proper tire inflation would save oil and should be part of an energy-conservation plan.

(More here.)