From my experience in such situations, i provide you the exact steps i had done and gave great results , also i supported you with valuable information from various trusted resources like (NHTSA)National highway traffic safety administration. you can find practical advice from tire services professionals .
Most drivers underestimate adjusting air pressure of the tire regularly , which is considered the main reason for tire blowout, therefore I recommend you with quick check points that you must do before any trip .
Here is content titles:-
●What to do if you have a tire blowout at night?
● common causes of tire blowout
● how to avoid tire blowout?
● front tires and rear tires blowout
● sidewall blowout
conclusion
What to do if you have a tire blowout at night?
- Don’t panic and stay calm,anyone dreading the sound of flapping , but you need a clear mind to maintain your car.
- The first thing come to your mind is pressing brake, but it is very big mistake as it will cause completely floating of the car regardless the wheel damage. so,avoid pressing brakes remember that, instead you should step on gas pedal gradually, until you control the steering again. it will help to stabilize your car.
- Keep firm grip on the steering wheel and control steering at 2&10 position.
- Drive in a straight line and stay in your lane then gently move to the side road and avoid sudden or quick movement as it makes it harder to control the steering wheel.
- Then take your foot off the gas and gently press the brake until the car stops. Don’t use normal braking pressure until you’re under 25 mph.
6. After you stop, what should you do ?
Take safe precaution:
Start flashing lights. Use light warning( road hazard corner) specially at night : set up reflective triangle to be in suitable distance behind your car. this will make attention for other driver of your predicament.
Replace damaged tire by spare one :
Follow spare tire limitations for distance and speed, As most of the spare tires do not work as regular ones. It has a limited usage that only helps in critical situations, not for normal driving .
If u dont know how to change the car tire :
- Make a sign on car body .
- Sit in the car or be away to ensure your safety but not be beside it .
- Now you can call a friend or roadside assistance .
- Don’t forget to call the insurance company in case of damage.
Finally, you must visit the tire service center to repair or replace the damaged tire .
Common causes of tire blowout
- low tire pressure: most of people thought that the high pressure of the tire is the main reason behind the tire damage , however the blow out occurs mostly when the tire pressure is low, it will bend the tire and make it curved. pressure accumulation occurs and cause tire blowout .
- Road hazard damage and stepping on sharp objects cause puncture and sudden loss of tire pressure and so blows out .
- Worn tread : when the tire tread depth reach the tread wear index in several places in the tire ( minimal tread is 1.6 mm for passenger cars which provide only 40% of grip on wet road)
- Date code: aging tires with worn treads are more prone to blowouts.
- Over packing the car and driving for higher speed than manufacturer recommendations can definitely be the reason for tire damage .
It’s estimated that flat tires and blowouts cause approximately 78,000 accidents yearly. so how to avoid tire blowout?
- Regularly check tire pressure PSI level, specially when leaving flat tires overnight will damage the rim, as it is normal to losing the air from the tire due to change in temperature ,so you should often check psi level at tire pressure index specified to you car.(as in above figure ) . NOW all car manufactured after 2008 is supported by tpms.
(tire pressure monitoring system) which give alert of low tire pressure. - Statistics conducted by the National highway traffic safety administration determine if the tire pressure is 25% too low , the vehicle is three times more likely to be involved in the crash than a vehicle with properly inflated tires. also keeping your tires properly inflated can save up to 9 cents per gallon of gasoline.[1]
- Another solution is using a tire that features run flat technology. this option give the ability for flat tires to run up to 50 mile at 50mph until you get safe place.
- Rotate the tires to optimize the tread wear manner.
- Limit collisions with sharp objects and hazards.
- Don’t overload the vehicle or drive at higher speed than the owner’s suggestions, check rate and load index. as high speed driving will make the tire hot which can cause damage, also the tire damage could happen when the car can’t manage the overload on it.
- Quick safety check points :
- Check tread depth by using tread depth gauge .
- Check small puncture or cuts on tire sidewall.
- Check tire bulb or tire deformation.
- Check tire speed and load index.
- Rotate your tires every six months.
- Check tire age: don’t exceed tire age ,tires more than 5-6 years old should be replaced regardless of the tread left on them.
If any of these issues are noticed you must visit tire care professionals.
Front tires and rear tires blowout.
- When the front tire blows out, you feel it with vibration in the steering and you will see the vehicle is swerving toward the side of the damaged tire .
- While in the rear tire blows out, you feel the vibration in the seat or car body and it causes the vehicle to wobble .
Cause of sidewall blowout.
Sometimes, blow out occurs at the side of the tire. this happen when running at high speed with a low pressure tire, Low pressure allow side wall to flex than usual causing extra heat and so rub against it self . this causes the tire to crush the side wall until becomes very weak so blowout happens .
Conclusion
- The first thing you should do when you are exposed to tire blowout is to be calm and don’t use brakes. try to stay in line and hold the steering strongly and take all precautions for safety .
- Before any trip you should check your tires pressure and to be in good appearance. don’t underestimate this step any way.
What important to know 👍
As TPMS is key point to avoid tire blowout, be sure about TPMS service required
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