What should you do if you have a tire blowout?
One of the scariest and most dangerous things while driving a car is when a tire blowout. You may hear the frightening sound of “Boom” and eventually lose focus on driving. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Nearly 11,000 accidents happen yearly due to tire blowouts.
What to do during Blowout?
Isn’t it frustrating to get a tire blowout when you are so excited about your special event or in a hurry to go somewhere? Misfortune can happen anytime, but the thing is to cope with it, so here we are with some tips to overcome stress and prevent further delay or any other problem.
- Don’t panic. Stay calm.
- Be Focused
- Grip the steering firmly
- Try to keep steering straight
- Don’t step on the brake. This will cause your wheels to lock up and will lead to a total loss of control.
- Slow down the car gradually by stepping off a foot from the accelerator
- Turn on your emergency lights.
- Steer towards the right or left hand according to the road situation.
- Change the tire if you know how to do it. Else call the mechanic to the destination.
Why does Tire Blowouts?
The problem doesn’t start by itself. So many reasons trigger it, and so does the tire blowout. Let’s have a look at them.
- Excessive pressure in tires can blow out tires and put the risk of life on all the passengers.
- Low tire pressure can cause a blowout. The tire’s sidewalls flex more when the air pressure is too low, and heat builds up inside the tire. Anyone who has ever had the misfortune of suffering a tire blowout knows how traumatic it can be.
- Overloading, All the cars have some maximum load capacity despite knowing that people try to overload the vehicle uselessly, which causes the tire to Blow out.
- Broken or dirty roads, If the treadwear of your tire is not good enough to run over the broken roads, it may cause the tire to burst frequently by hitting hard-cut stones.
What Does a Tire Blowout Feel Like?
Obviously, a tire blowing out can never feel good. The bursting of the tire at high speed causes deceleration in the vehicle. When the front tire is bursting, the steering becomes heavy or insistent, whereas the rear tire bursting leads to vibration in the car. It doesn’t matter which tire exploded. Safety measures and responses will remain the same in both situations.
What to do After a Tire Blowout?
- Way out of your vehicle only when you are sure to be cautious off the road.
- Use emergency lights to make the other drivers attentive.
- Replace your burst tire with the spare one.
- A damaged tire is too hot, so be careful while replacing it.
- Call for help if you are not aware of fixing the tire.
- Spare tires are only used in emergencies for shorter distances.
- Do not use spare more than 50
- Don’t drive at high speed or go for a long trip with a spare tire.
- Take your vehicle to the car shop and change the spare tire with a new one.
How to Avoid Blowout in the Future?
Maintenance has always been a good precaution in every situation. It is one of the easiest ways to prevent a blowout in the future. You can even make it a habit to check your tires for damage and proper inflation each time you fill up at the gas station. A quick check could help you avoid a blowout.
Tires cannot handle loads that are too heavy. You should ensure your tires can take the weight of your vehicle and the trailer, for instance, if you’re towing a heavy trailer. Depending on your tire pressure, you may need to inflate your tires to the maximum recommended pressure to help reduce the risk of a blowout.
Your life will be much easier if you experience a blowout if you have roadside assistance in your auto insurance. Often, roadside assistance includes tire changes. If your car is too damaged after the blowout, an expert will come to your vehicle and change your tire for you, or you can get towed to the nearest repair shop.
If you are mentally prepared for the blowout, it will make you less frightened and more focused on the steering grip. Keeping control of your vehicle is vital to safely navigating the side of the road. Stay calm and stay focused. To avoid getting stuck on the side of the road after a tire blowout, ensure you know how to change your tire or have roadside assistance.
Some safety measures you can keep yourself away from a blowout.
- Tire blowouts predominantly happen from May to October due to the scorching weather, which makes the road surface heated.
- Look over the tire pressure twice before heading towards a long journey, especially in the summer, because the pavement’s temperature can rise to 140 degrees, increasing your tire pressure and eventually bursting.
- In the United States, vehicles have been furnished in a way that can warn you out when your tire pressure swings above or below the safe limit since 2007.
- If your tire is long in the tooth or the tube is ruptured, don’t use it. Replace it with a new one and enjoy a safe drive.
- Don’t overburden your vehicle with goods or people. It is also a contributing factor to bursting a tire and spoiling your trip.
- Using a good quality tire also helps to avoid bursting or a tire.
