What causes a tire to explode while parked?
When the tire gets excessively hot, the rubber begins to degrade, which if driven on long enough, leads to a rupture in the sidewall of the tire, or tread separation. The result is an immediate and rapid loss of air pressure, often accompanied by a loud bang as the tire explodes.
Can tires spontaneously explode?
It’s a rare occurrence, but under certain circumstances, a damaged car tire can suddenly explode, leading to devastating consequences. Every year, dozens of people are seriously injured or even killed while filling their tires with air.
What is the first thing you should do if you experience a blown out tire?
What to Do If You Have a Tire Blowout
- First, stay calm.
- Don’t step on the brake.
- Accelerate slightly and steer as straight as possible.
- Begin to slow down by gently removing your foot from the accelerator.
- Turn on your emergency lights.
- Steer towards the right-hand lane and pull over when it’s safe.
What is the proper thing to do if a tire blows out?
If a tire suddenly blows out while you are driving, hold the steering wheel tightly and keep the vehicle going straight. You should slow down gradually, taking your foot off the gas pedal and using the brakes lightly. Do not stop on the road if at all possible.
Can you drive with a ripped tire?
A damaged sidewall is weakened and could give way at any moment. If you know you have a tire with a damaged sidewall, then you should not drive on that tire at all. Remove the tire from your vehicle and replace it with the spare until you can get a new tire put in its place.
Can you drive on a separated tire?
Tire tread separation is a potentially dangerous even in which the tread of a tire separates from the casing or the body of a tire. When traveling at highway speeds, tire separation can lead to loss of vehicle control, rollovers, accidents and death.
Why do tire blowouts happen?
Most tire blowouts are caused by under inflation. Tire under inflation causes the side of a tire to flex more which generates heat. It’s the heat that leads to the blowout. Since most cars are inflated to around 45 pounds per square inch, it doesn’t take long for tires to become dangerously low on air.
Can you drive on a blown out tire?
The normal drag of the car and the friction of the blown-out tire will slow you down gradually. At the same time, gently counter-steer to maintain your intended direction of travel. Pull Over Safely – As the car slows and you have control over it, signal to get off the travel lanes and into the breakdown lane.
How common are tire blowouts?
Unfortunately, every year tire blowout is one of the leading causes of truck crashes in America. According to the latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, tire blowouts are estimated to cause more than 11,000 crashes a year and more than 200 deaths.
How far can you drive on a blown tire?
Make sure you drive no longer than 1.5 miles and go no faster than 20 mph – this is the only way to ensure that your tire has any hopes of surviving this disaster.
How long can you drive on a damaged tire?
Your owner’s manual will give recommendations for driving time and speed. A general rule of thumb is to drive no more than 70 miles and no faster than 50 miles per hour before replacing your donut with a new tire.
How long can you drive on a torn tire?
If the tire has a hole in the sidewall, in some cases you can still drive for limited periods, but it should be done slowly as handling and even braking will be compromised. Most manufacturers don’t recommend driving more than 25 to 75 miles with a damaged run-flat tire.
What happens when you blow out a tire sidewall blowout?
The damage may be immediate, making the tire go flat or explode, or it may be long-lasting. The latter will expand and eventually deflate the tire fully, causing a tire sidewall blowout.
What should you do if you have a blown tire?
Here are the steps to take when you’re safely stopped after a blown tire. Put the car in park, activate the parking brake and turn on your emergency flashers. If you can safely do so, put road flares and/or safety cones around your vehicle. Leave yourself enough space within the cones/flares to change the tire.
What happens if you put under-inflated tires on a car?
Under-inflated tires’ sidewalls flex more, as there isn’t enough pressure to hold the load of the vehicle, passengers, etc. This causes heat buildup, in addition to the existing high temperature that the tire usually can safely dissipate.
What happens if you let your tire go flat overnight?
Now that might cause some problems if your tire lets go like this while driving above a city speed. Rolling it flat a few feet can cut into the sidewall like this picture shows. It is even possible that the tire went flat overnight on this spot and damaged the structural cord as you can see.