Most of us have seen a tire blowout happen on the highway or even on a local road, but until one happens to you, you’re unsure how you would handle such an event. What happens to your car during the blowout? Will you be able to control your vehicle? There are dozens of questions you could ask, but they key is to always be prepared.
At Andy Mohr Collision Center, we don’t ever want you to be blindsided by a blowout and not know what to do, so we’ve compiled this helpful guide to give you a better idea of how to handle a tire blowout.
What Will Happen When the Tire Blows?
The first thing you’ll notice when your tire blows out or is about to blow out is the sound. A loud bang will sound from the area underneath your car as the tire reaches its maximum capacity and blows. Next, eyou’ll notice that the car will become very hard to steer as you will pulled to the right or left dependent upon which tire blew.
You’ll also notice some heavy vibration in the steering wheel as you continue to drive if you lose a front tire. However, if one of the rear tires blows you’ll likely feel an instability in the rear of the car, almost as if your car is jostling back and forth. The important thing to remember is to keep a clear head during a blowout and you’ll get through it just fine.
What to Do During a Blowout
As long as you remain calm, you’re going to be alright. First, you will want to make sure both hands are on the wheel as this will provide you with maximum control of the vehicle, when it will begin to feel a little out of control. Many different automotive agencies, including the Department of Transportation advise that you don’t brake during this time.
You want to allow the vehicle to slow down naturally and exit the road as expeditiously as possible, but also as safely as possible. Wait until your vehicle slows to a speed that can be easily controlled before you exit the road and proceed to the shoulder. Do not exit your vehicle until you are safely off the road.
How to Prevent a Blowout
While accidents can always happen and sometimes your tires can be unpredictable, you’ll find that there are several ways to prevent a tire blowout.
- Tire Pressure – If you keep track of your tire pressure, especially with the help of the monitoring system in your car, you should be able to do the lion’s share of the work in preventing a blowout. Properly inflated tires are much less susceptible.
- Tire Age – If you know that your tires are getting close to the mileage mark where they should be replaced, check them before traveling at any excessive speed. Make sure your tread is still at a safe level and that no threads are showing.
- Tire Maintenance – Failure to keep up with proper tire maintenance is one of the leading causes of blowouts. Be sure to keep up with routine service appointments to have your tires rotated and balanced every six months or every 7,000 miles, whichever comes first
Tire Service Near You
If you do happen to sustain a blowout on the highway and you’re riding on the spare, you’ll need to have your tire replaced as quickly as possible. At Andy Mohr Collision Center, we have four locations to serve you and can handle the replacement of your tires. We can also help you prevent the blowout from happening with regular service appointments to handle your routine maintenance.
