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Causes of Summer Truck Tire Blowouts
Posted By Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge || Sep 8, 2016
Summer weather is still in full swing now that September has started, and while it’s important to keep yourself protected from heat and sun-related injuries while outside, it’s even more important to pay attention to hazards on the road.
One of the most dangerous problems you may face while driving is the risk of a truck’s tire bursting. While they can cause catastrophic collisions at any time, they are most likely to occur between May and October, the hottest months of the year. Tire companies pay close attention to data they collect during this timeframe in order to identify the warning signs and risk factors associated with tire blowouts. They have found that the most common causes are:
- Underinflated Tires: Even though high temperatures cause gas to expand and increase the psi of tires, underinflated tires are still some of the most dangerous hazards motorists face on the road. Whether the tires are underinflated due to an overall lack of air, or whether a dramatic change in temperature pushed the psi to dangerously low levels, underinflation causes the main components of the tires – the steel, rubber, composites, fabric, etc. – to flex more dramatically than the manufacturer ever intended. It also increases the tire’s overall surface area, which causes heat to build up faster through friction. Combined with the sun’s ray’s beating down on the dark rubber of the tires, and it’s a perfect recipe for disaster.
- Overinflated Tires: On the opposite side of inflation, an overinflated tire also puts extra stress on the main components of the tire. Warm weather can cause a light increase to the tire’s psi, and if the driver keeps their tires inflated close to the upper limit of what they can handle and doesn’t frequently check the pressure, the psi could increase to dangerous levels without them realizing it.
- Overloaded Vehicle: No matter how inflated or underinflated the tires are, an overloaded vehicle increases the risk of a tire blowout. Inflating tires to the maximum acceptable limit may allow drivers to push the boundaries of how much cargo they can carry, but for the same reasons as listed above, this can easily lead to a catastrophic collision or crash.
- Wear and Tear: Truck drivers travel about two or three thousand miles on the road every week, and despite the fact that truck tires are designed to be incredibly durable, the constant and excessive use takes its toll over time. If they aren’t properly taken care of, truck tires will eventually fail and burst
- Poor Road Conditions: Even the greatest tires in the world can’t hold together forever if they keep getting beat up by potholes and cracked roads. It’s the responsibility of the truck driver and their company to constantly check to make sure that their tires are in proper working condition so they won’t burst on the road.
A truck driver can completely lose control of their vehicle when a tire bursts, which can easily lead to a collision that causes a catastrophic injury, or even death. If either someone you love or you were injured in a truck collision, contact the attorneys at the law firm of Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge today. Our truck accident lawyers understand the best way to handle these kinds of cases to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. With over 100 years of collective experience, you can rest assured that your case is in good hands. Give us a call at (615) 933-2893 to set up a meeting with one of our Nashville truck accident attorneys, or fill out the form on our website to tell us about your case.