Tire blowouts can cause all kinds of crashes—both serious and less serious crashes. These accidents are often unpredictable, but they are fortunately preventable with the appropriate care. All motorists who operate their vehicles on Missouri and Kansas roads have a duty to maintain their vehicles. For example, if a motorist knows or should know that they need to replace their tires, but they drive their car anyway, and their tire blow out, which causes a crash with another vehicle, the driver who failed to maintain their tires would be deemed negligent. By recognizing the causes and nature of tire blowouts, it is often possible to avoid them. Below are several critical details to remember about tire blowouts.
What Constitutes a Tire Blowout
Tire blowouts occur when a car’s tire fails while being used. Tire blowouts are often the result of the sudden loss of air pressure. Blowouts are frequently accompanied by a loud booming sound. Blowouts often result in a vehicle veering around the road and the driver struggling to regain control of the vehicle. Unfortunately, these accidents occur suddenly, and tire blowouts often happen with little to no notice of any warning to the driver.
What Causes Tire Blowouts?
Several factors can cause tire blowouts. Failure to replace or maintain tires that are worn is all too common. Over or underinflating tires can also cause them to blowout. It is not uncommon for adverse weather conditions like ice and snow to take a toll on a car’s tires. Tires exposed to hot weather can also deteriorate in a way that is not immediately noticeable. Fluctuations in temperature and air pressure will also wear tires down. Sometimes, tires arrive from the factory with defects, leading them to malfunction. These manufacturing errors sometimes contribute to serious car crashes.
The Aftermath of Tire Blowouts
Tire blowouts can result in life-changing car crashes. While these accidents can involve one vehicle, they also might involve several motor vehicles when they occur at high speed on the highway. Tire blowouts often leave drivers little time to regain control of a vehicle before a crash can occur. Blowouts can cause a vehicle to leave the road, strike other vehicles, and even turn over. Tire blowouts can also result in pedestrian crashes and collisions.
Tips for Keeping Tires in Good Condition
Tire blowouts are often unpredictable. Fortunately, there are some helpful steps that drives can take to maintain motor vehicles that are safe to drive. Some of these tips include:
- Monitor your tires’ air pressure. It is a good idea to routinely inspect your tires to make sure they have sufficient air. Based on the size of the tire, there will be an accompanying recommended pressure range.
- Inspect your tire tread. This is a more detailed process than monitoring your air pressure. Tire tread, however, is the best method to assess how much life tires have left.
- Routinely rotate your tires. This is a critical part of vehicle maintenance that helps to make sure that you maintain consistent wear across all four tires.
- Do not forget about your tires when you maintain your vehicle. Any time you take your car in for service, have the technicians inspect your tires. .
Contact an assertive advocate to protect your rights.
If you or a loved one has been injured after a tire blowout, you should not hesitate to speak with an accident attorney. At House Law LLC, we understand that tire damage cases are often complex because they can present issues involving negligence, defective products, and/or strict liability. Contact our law office today to schedule a free case evaluation.