Causes and how to handle car tire explosion

(Baonghean.vn) - The hotter the weather, the higher the risk of car tires exploding, causing vehicle imbalance and leading to traffic accidents if the situation is not handled properly.

When driving on the road, the risk of a tire suddenly exploding is always lurking. So, what should be done to limit this situation from happening and how to handle it when the tire suddenly explodes at high speed?

First, it is necessary to determine the cause of the tire explosion, in order to minimize the worst possible situation. There are 4 reasons for a sudden tire explosion on the road:

Underinflated tire

This is the main cause of tire explosion, according to the operating principle of the vehicle, the air pressure in the tire is responsible for supporting the entire weight of the vehicle and the weight of passengers and luggage. Under-inflated tires mean that the tire has to take on more "responsibilities", causing the tire's components such as steel wire, rubber, tire tread and tire bead to work beyond their capacity.

In addition, when there is a lack of air, the tire will not be cooled enough, plus the friction area between the tire and the road surface increases, causing overheating and explosion.

To avoid under-inflation, you should regularly check your tires with a handheld pressure gauge or you can install a tire pressure sensor to continuously monitor the air in your tires. When pumping your tires, you also need to follow the pressure specifications, which are usually posted behind the driver's door.

Overload

This is an eternal “problem” of trucks. Overloading unintentionally puts the tires in a state of “maximum load limit”, at which point, the heat generated during friction with the road surface and having to go through bumpy roads will cause the tire’s endurance to exceed its limit, leading to an inevitable tire explosion.

Fall into a pothole

This is what will “kill” the tire immediately, in severe cases it can destroy the rim. Falling into a pothole at low speed will only make you uncomfortable, but at high speed, the pressure from the road surface will break the tire, crack the rim and worse, break the shock absorber. If you are driving a sports car with large rims, it means that the wall thickness of the tire will be very thin, so just hitting a small bump or rock at high speed, the tire will most likely explode immediately.

Therefore, it is not advisable to go at moderate speed if you are not familiar with the road and when visibility is limited, the holes will be very difficult to detect at a distance especially when you are moving too fast.

Tires are too old

According to manufacturers' recommendations, tires should be replaced after 50,000 km and depending on road conditions, if you often travel on bad roads, you should replace them after 40,000 km or no more than 5 years from the date of manufacture, regardless of whether the tire has been used less than recommended.

When tires are too old, they will wear to the limit and when moving at high speed, factors such as temperature, pressure, and load capacity will destroy the tire.

How to handle a flat tire

To determine if a tire has exploded, just listen to the following 3 sounds: First is a very loud bang, due to the tire being destroyed by pressure, then a very strong spray of air escaping, and finally the "thump thump" sound of the rubber rubbing against the road surface.

In another case, if the tire is completely blown away, you will hear the sound of metal (wheel) rubbing against the road. So what should we do to avoid losing control or crashing into another car?

When detecting signs of a tire explosion and the vehicle is running at a fairly high speed, the driver needs to stay calm to be able to handle the next step in time. Some car owners encountering this unfortunate situation will easily lead to panic, loss of steering control and even danger due to accidentally stepping on the gas pedal or braking suddenly.

- Avoid sudden braking:When you realize that your tire has exploded, the first thing you need to do is to immediately take your foot off the gas and gently apply the brake, especially avoiding sudden braking or pressing the brake pedal hard, even with ABS. At the same time, the driver needs to hold the steering wheel firmly and drive in the opposite direction of the car drifting. If in a residential area, you must observe the safest direction to avoid collisions.

In this case, it is best to try not to brake, at this time keep the steering wheel straight and tight so that the vehicle's safety systems such as electronic balance ESP, electronic brake force distribution EBD can intervene and handle. If you try to perform some other operations, it will make it difficult for the ECU to handle the situation.

-Do not let go of the accelerator suddenly:Because then the car transfers its weight from the rear wheels to the front wheels and leads to loss of control. After a few seconds of wobbling, the car will regain balance and the driver can control the car.

- Speed ​​control:As a very important operation in handling the situation of a sudden tire blowout on the road, the first basic operation for the driver is to apply the brake pedal to gradually reduce the speed of the vehicle. In some cases, due to inertia, the vehicle continues to slide forward. At this time, the driver needs to actively maintain speed and move steadily, avoiding sudden braking that can cause the vehicle to tilt and overturn.

Stay calm, hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands in the correct position to avoid losing control (left hand at 10 o'clock position and right hand at 2 o'clock position). Then reduce speed gradually and apply the brakes to stop the car completely when you have control of the steering direction.

- Change direction and bring the car to the side of the road:Once you have controlled your speed, the next step is to quickly move your vehicle to a safe area (usually the side of the road) to check the condition of your tires. To ensure safety, turn on your turn signal or use your flashing headlights when it is too dark or low light.

In case of a tire blowout causing a serious puncture that makes it difficult to move, the solution is to stop the vehicle in one place on the road and create a signal (a tree branch on the side of the road, for example) to warn other vehicles.

To ensure safe vehicle operation

The front tire must be of the best quality.

These two tires are the same size and wear evenly, and are installed in the correct direction of the tread and teeth. If the tread is worn unevenly, you must have the steering wheel adjusted or the tires rotated. When driving on the road, if you discover that a front tire is damaged, you should not use the spare tire to replace it, but choose the best tire in your car, even if it has to be removed from the rear wheel.

Always inflate tires to the correct pressure; carry a gauge to check tire pressure periodically.

When buying new tires, pay attention to the date of manufacture on the tire. Even though the tire is new, it will age if stored for more than 5 years. When replacing new tires, the driver should record the time and the number of kilometers on the clock. Even high-quality tires should not be used for more than 80,000 km for trucks and 40,000 km for passenger cars.

Control your speed and the road surface to avoid hitting hard, sharp objects.

Keep a safe distance. When you don't want to overtake, don't follow the car in front too closely. Keep a safe distance when you can read the license plate number.

Ngoc Anh

(Synthetic)