There are many reasons why it is essential that your car’s tires are in good condition and well inflated. The main reason is security. In fact, they constitute the only point of contact between the vehicle and the road, so driving with one or more tires in poor condition or without adequate pressure can lead to problems of various kinds that end up leading to an accident.
Driving a vehicle when the tires are not in optimal condition affects its performance. It is likely to decrease braking capacity and increase stopping distance, as well as decrease traction. It can also influence the handling and stability of the car. Finally, when the tires are not properly inflated, they are likely to generate greater fuel consumption by increasing rolling resistance.
For all these reasons, it is extremely important to ensure that your car’s tires are in good condition and correctly inflated. It is essential to regularly inspect the condition of your tires and ensure that they are properly inflated. The most common way to maintain proper tire pressure is by using the service offered by gas stations, where you can find air compressors to inflate the tires.
In most of these establishments, compressed air is used to inflate the tires of vehicles. It is a mixture of atmospheric gases, mainly nitrogen, oxygen and a small amount of other gases, which are compressed and delivered through a hose and nozzle.
However, there is an alternative that has begun to become popular in recent years, which consists of the possibility of using nitrogen to inflate car tires. This practice used by Formula 1 cars improves the safety of the tires and extends their useful life, in addition to contributing in a more environmentally friendly way.
Although nitrogen is part of what we call air, which is a mixture of various gases and water vapor, when isolated it has unique properties that make it especially suitable for inflating tires. Its molecular size is larger than that of other gases, so thanks to this any leak that the tire may experience is up to 4 times slower than with regular air, Rodi explains on his blog.
The chain of mechanical workshops explains the main advantages that nitrogen provides to vehicle wheels, which we reproduce below.
One of the drawbacks of inflating tires with nitrogen is that it is not a service widely available at gas stations, unlike the air inflation service. At most service stations, drivers can check tire pressure and, if necessary, easily inflate them using compressed air.
To inflate the wheels with nitrogen, you must go to a mechanical workshop that offers this service. The price usually varies, but is generally in the range of 3 to 5 euros per tire.
