Many people think at least a little bit about tire failures when they drive down the road and see pieces of a tire sitting in the roadway.
Many times, what you see in the roadway is a tire tread from a commercial vehicle that has as many as 18 other tires to take the load and control.
But what happens when a tread separates from a passenger car or SUV? Often times, it leads to tragic results, like this situation involving a local Tampa couple, who drowned following a tire failure on their vehicle.
A tread/belt detachment, or tread separation
As it is also known, is often called a “blow out,” but it’s nothing of the sort- it’s actually a detachment of the tread and steel belts on your tire.
This detachment, often happening at high speeds, can lead to loss of control of your vehicle, particularly if the tire that loses its tread is on the back of your passenger vehicle.
This loss of control can lead to catastrophic situations, involving rollovers and, tragically, ejections of occupants.
What can you do to avoid tire failures? Most importantly, realize that tires have a shelf life and a set age.
Why Tires Fail
Old tires fail more frequently than new tires. And the longer tires are exposed to the elements, they degrade.
Whenever you get a vehicle serviced, make sure that a tire professional checks your tires. If a tire is more than 5 years old, think about replacing it.
And if you are replacing less than 4 tires, make sure that the new tires go on the back of your vehicle- but if you can, replace all four at once- and that those replacement tires are made to operate both at the speed your vehicle runs and under the weight loads your vehicle carries.
Also, make sure you’re putting air in your tires to manufacturer’s specifications located at the door of your vehicle.
Unfortunately, all the maintenance in the world sometimes cannot prevent a defective tire from causing harm.
Tires Defective Manufacturing
Whether through defective manufacturing, storage or use, a new “bad” tire may end up on your vehicle. Before it fails, think about what sort of vehicle you’re in- is it top heavy and likely to roll over? Does it have a strong roof that can take a rollover?
Does it have all the available airbags? All things to think about not just when you’re buying tires, but when you’re buying vehicles.
Contact FL Legal group
If you’ve got questions about your tires, Click Here or call 1-800-984-9951 to reach out to us at FL Legal Group to talk about the issues.