Transportation News

BOSTON -- With gas prices continuing to rise, new price hikes predicted as a result of Hurricane Katrina, and little relief in sight for consumers, a state representative from Southbridge is calling for swift passage of a bill that would save Massachusetts drivers millions of dollars by placing more fuel efficient tires on their cars and trucks.

“This is not rocket science,” said Rep. Mark Carron, who represents a central Massachusetts district where many people commute long distances. “The Gas-Saving Tires bill I filed this year would simply require that replacement tires meet the same standards as the tires that are on your new car when it rolls off the lot. Better tires would make cars and trucks more fuel efficient at a time when we badly need such improvements.”

According to a report released earlier this summer by MASSPIRG, “When the Rubber Hits the Road,” documenting the benefits of this proposal, if the bill passed into law today, Massachusetts drivers would save more than $267 million dollars on their gas bills over the next five years. “Automakers use high-efficiency tires to meet federal fuel economy standards for new cars and trucks,” said Brooke McConnell, MASSPIRG’s transportation advocate, “but the replacement tires we eventually buy when the original ones wear out are unfortunetaly usually far less efficient, and they aren’t even labeled, so consumers don’t know that they’ll be using more gas to drive the same distances. The Gas-Saving Tires bill would require both fuel efficient tires and labelling.”

Most replacement tires on the market today are approximately twenty percent less fuel efficient than original equipment tires, according to the MASSPIRG report. If the Gas-Saving Tires Program were implemented this year, by 2010, when all replacement tires in the state would meet federal standards, gas consumption would be reduced by 119 million gallons. Based on a conservative estimate of $2.25 per gallon, this would translate to a savings of $267 million for consumers.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) is predicting that five million consumers in New England will drive at least fifty miles from home over Labor Day weekend, at the current price of approximately $2.60 a gallon. “I’m hoping that the Telecom, Utilities and Energy Committee will respond to the urgent needs of consumers and expedite the passage of the bill,” said McConnell, “we look forward to working with the members of the committee to advance this important bill.” The bill had a hearing on June 7th, and is pending review by the Committee.