Kick those tires!

A video of an alleged tire blowout that happened in the South Coastal Road circulated around Social media this Holy Week. It reminded me of the importance of tire maintenance and following speed limits. The driver was lucky that the roads were quite empty and that the uncontrollable car didn’t hit anything substantial to write-off the vehicle and/or injure or kill the ones onboard.

At highway speeds a tire blowout can quickly cause an inexperienced driver to panic and lose control. According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USNHTSA because I couldn’t find PH data), tire blowouts cause over 75,000 accidents and 400 motorists each year. These are considerable numbers, it scares you out of your wits. But before you panic, trust me and know that a tire blowout doesn’t necessarily spell disaster, even if you aren’t a professional race car driver. It also can be well avoided with proper maintenance.

What Causes a Tire Blow Out? Often tire blowouts are a result of poor maintenance. Yes, tires do need maintenance. One simple way is ensuring your car’s tires are inflated to manufacturers spec. This aspect of maintenance is crucial to the life of the tire. When a tire is underinflated, the tire walls become more flexible than normal and as you drive. The heat in the rubber builds up or the wheel digs into the sidewall of the tire, causing degradation and eventually a blowout. Tires are especially vulnerable in a tropical country like the Philippines as the temperature in the air and the road surface is much hotter, not to mention the humidity. As you all know, heat is the enemy of all things.

Overinflating your tires is also a big factor when it comes to tire blowouts. Overinflated tires are more susceptible to being punctured or damaged by jagged objects on the road such as large rocks, potholes, etc., especially if the tires are worn out or expired. As tires age, crucial properties of the rubber like flexibility and road adhesion begin to weaken - tires become hard, less flexible, and are at substantially higher risk for one of the most dangerous tire failures: tread separation and explosion.

Weight is also a factor.  Over-loading the maximum weight limit of the vehicle is one of the major causes of tire blowouts.

What to do during a Blowout? I’ve blown a rear tire and a front tire in racing. Although it was in a controlled environment (racetrack), the feeling will probably be the same as when you’re on the road. The first thing you should do in case you experience a blowout is to stay calm. Remaining calm will allow you to think more clearly. Your natural reaction is to slam on the brakes. DO NOT slam on the brakes. Instead, keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and avoid making jerking movements to force the car to the direction where you want it to go. Brake as lightly as you can but keep the pressure consistent. The blown tire will create drag and aid in slowing the car down. If you have a front tire blowout, it may be more difficult as the wheel will try to pull in the direction of the blown tire. Resisting this motion will keep the car in forward direction. I have to remind you that there is no “fool proof” way of getting away safely with a tire blow out. These tips are merely based on my experiences as a racecar driver. Different circumstances contribute to the outcome of an accident, like the speed.  This is why adhering to the speed limits is vital.

How then can I avoid a Blowout? The biggest chance that you will never experience a catastrophic tire blowout is to do proper tire maintenance. Maintenance should include maintaining the proper tire pressure, inspecting tires for proper wear and tread depth, and rotating the tires every 10,000 km. An expired tire should urgently be replaced and please don’t sell those used, expired tires. Instead, destroy it by cutting a portion of the sidewall. This will prevent it from being used on the road again. Selling those used, expired tires are like selling ticking time bombs.