Tyre Burst - Why It Happens And How You Can Prevent It

Tyres are important components of a vehicle, and taking care of these parts is equally important as the others. Let’s know about tyre bursts and how to avoid them.

• A tyre blowout is one of the major causes of road accidents.
• Preventing the tyre burst should be the first step towards your safety.
• The tyre blowout occurs due to underinflation, over-speeding, overloading, high temperatures and the use of low-quality products.
• Tyre bursts can be handled skillfully by applying certain tactics during the manoeuvre.
• Panic braking, abrupt deceleration and over-correcting can make things worse.
• Once you see yourself moving to a spot safely, turn on the indicators and activate hazard lights to prevent further mishaps.

Pleasure driving can turn into a nightmare anytime, irrespective of how expensive or the type of car you own. Tyre blowouts or tyre burst is one such terrifying experience a driver can have, especially while driving on the highways. Tyre burst at high speed can be lethal in every sense, as it can lead to complete loss of vehicle control.

However, a tyre blowout can be prevented if certain precautions are taken. And even if it does happen, what are the things we can do to avoid maximum damage? We will discuss all these things below. But before that, let's know why a tyre burst happens.

Why tyre burst occurs?

If we get the root cause of a thing, the prevention and solution become easier. Tyre bursts can happen due to various reasons. Let's know through the below pointers:

Underinflation

Tyres must be adequately inflated before embarking on a journey. Underinflation is the main reason behind a tyre blowout. The flexing or bending of the sidewalls of an underinflated tyre can deform the tyre structure. And adding to it, the heat that a tyre (often worn out) has to tolerate during high speeds, becomes a lethal combination.

Over-speeding

Not sticking to the speed limits or speed rating of a tyre can lead to tyre bursts. If you want to be in the safest zone, never surpass 80 per cent of a tyre’s speed rating. Over-speeding also reduces the tyre's life drastically as it can fail to dissipate heat at high speeds, causing the tyre to overheat and eventually blow out.

Overloading

Overloading is a serious issue, especially in heavy vehicles. Overloading put a lot of stress on the sidewalls, weakening the tyre and generating more heat that eventually leads to bursts.

Hot surfaces

Roads, especially those that are built of concrete, can become very hot during summer. Driving at high speeds on such surfaces is a clear invitation to a mishap, as the tyre might not be able to dispel heat quickly. 

Tyre quality

The quality of tyres is equally vital and proportionate till they can be used. Low-quality tyres are prone to early damage and are likely to cause bursts during high speeds.

How to prevent tyre bursts?

Though with the advancement of technology in tyres, bursts are becoming less frequent. However, despite all odds, it can still occur. Now imagine the worst-case scenario if the tyre blowout occurs, what should we do to prevent serious car crashes? Here are some tips you need to remember while handling a tyre blowout.

1. Do not panic

The first rule of thumb during such situations is not to panic. Take a deep breath and act calmly.

2. Do not go for panic braking

Panic comes with other adversities, and the first option, which is normally used in such emergencies, is slamming the brake pedal. However, not to brake is easier said than done. But the fact of the matter is that hard braking will further create imbalance and throw the vehicle out of control leading to an accident. So, you must lightly engage the brake until your vehicle slows down.

3. Keep safe driving speed

Prevention is better than cure stands true in every facet of life. If you drive sedately at 70-100kmph on the highways, the burst would be far less dramatic than if you were at the speed of 120-150kmph.

4. Don’t take your foot off the accelerator abruptly

As our brains are hardwired to apply emergency methods, we would normally take our foot off the accelerator to speed down the vehicle. However, there is a method to decelerate. Once you have noticed the tyre burst, take off your foot from the accelerator slowly and gradually.

The force of deceleration from a burst-out tyre can slow down your vehicle rapidly, and this abrupt halt can lead to a loss of control. If you are using cruise control, undo it immediately.

5. Do not try to over-correct

The most important job during this situation is to maintain the stability of the vehicle. If you try to pull the steering sharply, there is a high chance of a rollover. Even when you see that you have gained control of the vehicle and moving safely to a nearby spot, keep the stability in the mildest way possible.

If you see your vehicle pulling to one side, try to pull the steering in the opposite direction to keep the vehicle straight. Even if you have to drive the car on bare metal, do not stop in the middle of the road. Don’t forget to turn on your indicators as you move to the safe spot and activate hazard lights.

Related : Top 8 Car Tyres For Indian Roads

Final thoughts

A tyre blowout can turn out to be catastrophic if proper tactics are not applied. So, it's better to avoid the chances of mishaps in the first place by taking proper care of your tyres. Checking the car tyre pressure regularly is the first step in this direction. Avoid over-speeding and overloading, as both these are unnecessary in most situations.

Last but not least, go for branded tyres only, as cheap tyres do not undergo meticulous design and testing before rolling out of the factory. Follow these steps, and you will be on the safe side of the journey.

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