As a life long resident of New York City, this past summer is one
I will never forget. Day after day, radio and TV stations warned the elderly
and those with breathing issues to stay indoors. We recorded one of the hottest
summers in history with the heat, humidity and pollution making air quality
unbearable.
For those of us who live in large cities where traffic jams
intensify pollution from vehicle emissions resulting in greenhouse gases pouring
into the atmosphere, it’s imperative that we understand the huge impact pollution
has on all of us.
Air
pollution has very negative effects on human health that range from irritated
eyes to serious heart and lung effects. It’s been shown to cause increases in
asthma and upper respiratory infections in kids and diseases like chronic
bronchitis in grown ups.
Greenhouse
gases aggravate and worsen the health of those struggling with medical
conditions like lung and heart disease and pollution has been linked to a
shortened life expectancy.
Ultimately, greenhouse gases affect human
health not only by breathing it but also by polluting drinking water of people
and live stock and by entering the food chain through acid rain.
And global warming, the associated climate
change and sea level rise can threaten earth’s very existence. Our planet is fragile and overcrowded
and, we need to take responsibility now for thinking greener as, eventually, our
children and their future can only be as healthy as the planet itself.
As a father as well as the owner of a second generation family
owned tire chain, I made the decision to think greener a few years ago.
I am empowering my customers with helpful information on how
something as simple as under-inflated tires can play a huge role in the future
of our planet.
There
are over 10,000 tire related accidents each year in the U.S. and the number one
cause of tire failure is under-inflated or improperly inflated tires.
Under-inflated
tires are costly because they increase tire wear, waste gas and therefore pollute
the air. They can cause serious injuries and even deaths in what is a totally
avoidable situation.
If you luckily escape injury or
worse in an accident caused by under-inflated tires, it will cost you plenty
financially in damage to your car, property damage, deductibles, etc.
Improper
tire inflation also reduces your gas mileage by more than 3% and every gallon of gas wasted equates to
about 20 lbs. of greenhouse gases.
There
are about 220 million cars on the roads in the United States. It’s been
estimated that under-inflated tires alone wastes about 3.5 million gallons of
gasoline each day! That
translates to us using 800 million barrels of crude oil a year.
Getting into the habit of checking your tire
pressure once a month can save you hundreds of dollars a year on gas (and tire
wear) or more depending on how much you
use your car and the environmental effect certainly impacts our threatened
planet.
Also, nitrogen tire fill can help with gas costs and pollution and it’s not
new. “The Tonight Show’s” host, Jay Leno, is national spokesman for an
organization that promotes drivers taking a pro-active stance in helping the
earth by reducing the tons of emissions that pour into our atmosphere. (see: www.getnitrogen.org)
Nitrogen tire fill has been used by
NASCAR, in airplane tires (including Air Force One) and NASA space shuttle
tires for more than a decade. By utilizing nitrogen fill in our own vehicles
and in businesses that maintain a fleet of vehicles, the savings can be between
3-10% per
tank full of gas per vehicle.
Nitrogen fill lasts
longer because the nitrogen molecule is more stable and larger than that of
oxygen. It takes longer for it to escape through the porous rubber tire. Tips: WHY USE NITROGREN FILL? A FAQ...........answers here:
- Increases driving safety (under-inflating tires
is the number one cause of tire related accidents resulting in accidents, injuries,
lost wages, fatalities, etc.)
- saves gas, money & supports a healthier environment
- it extends tire life by diminishing tire wear
- improves the handling of vehicles
- maintains proper tire inflation 3-4 times
longer; it’s stability provides more consistent and constant tire pressure
therefore reducing maintenance
- minimizes blowouts
- it’s an stable, non-flammable &
non-combustible gas diminishing the possibility of fire after a collision
- it’s a dry gas with no corrosive properties like
those found in ordinary gas station compressed air
If 85% of us used nitrogen fill, we’d save 3.8 billion gallons of gas per
year.
This equates to sparing the earth 76 billion tons of carbon monoxide
and other greenhouse gases.
Saving the above 3.8 billion gallons of gas equates to planting 7
million acres of forest.
Nitrogen fill is only about $30.00 for all four tires. If we don’t
consider the health of the earth by taking this high tech step, how about each
of us think about the health of our beloved family members. PLUS it's free for a year when you buy 4 new or used tires at any 106 St location http://www.106sttire.com when you busy 4 new or used tires
More great everyday deals at all 106 St Tire:
$35 wheel repair prices begin at 106 St Tire & Wheel .
$45 wheel alignment most cars at 106 St Tire & Wheel,
$75 A/C recharge / service at 106 St Tire & Wheel
best deals on tires too:
Christian A. Lucero is the
COO of 106 St Tire & Wheel in Queens, NY, www.106StTire.com, a six store, family run
tire chain now in its second generation of family leadership. Christian’s
mother was the first woman to own
