by Leonard Konis

Created on: December 10, 2006

Major concern for drivers, making sure tires are inflated enough, avoiding an automobile accident. Aerospace vehicles, commercial and military aircraft, NASCAR race cars, Space Shuttle, Tour de France bikes, and off-road equipment for many years, inflated tires with nitrogen. Tires inflated with nitrogen are better than tires inflated with air for many reasons, including better gas mileage, and longer tread life. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers can improve gas mileage nearly three percent, by keeping their vehicle tires within the recommended pressure range. Also, estimated United States loses more than two million gallons of gas every day, due to under inflated tires. Nitrogen inflated tires is a growing trend in the transportation industry.

When tires are inflated with air, over time the pressurized air inside a tire, will slowly escape.
On average, tires compressed air will lose 2.7 pounds of pressure monthly, compared to nitrogen tire loosing 0.7 pounds. The air inside tires expands, when exposed to heat and contracts when cooled. Tires loose more air when exposed to hot weather, compared tires filled with nitrogen, remains twenty percent cooler. Scientifically, nitrogen molecules are bigger than air molecules, thus nitrogen escapes a tire more slowly. According to Ingersol-Rand Company, makes nitrogen inflation systems, nitrogen leaks out of tires about 30 to 40 percent slower, compared to air filled tires. Compressed air contains moisture and oxygen, which can cause oxidation, corrosion, leakage, and accelerated wear in tires. Tires containing nitrogen do not cause any these corrosive problems.

Problems associated having low air pressure in tires, when air escapes. Decreased air pressure on a tire, causes more of the surface of the tire to be exposed to the road, which reduces tread on a tire. Eventually, if the driver is unaware or does not periodically check the tread on a tire, will cause blowout on the road and may lead to a serious car accident. Also, the friction of low tire pressure makes a car engine work harder. Basic rule to follow, when tires operate below twenty percent of optimum safety, will reduce the tire life by up to 50 percent, and tire rolling resistance can add ten percent or more to fuel consumption. Regardless whether air or nitrogen used to inflate tires, tire pressure should be checked once a month and tires rotated every 5,000 miles.

Nitrogen filled tires will not fluctuate as much or be susceptible,

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