How to Safely Drive Through a Tire Blowout
You're driving down a freeway, paying attention to the road
ahead. Then - BANG! A sound like a gunshot pierces the air and your car starts
to veer. You've just experienced a tire blowout. What you do in the following
seconds will make a world of difference. Depending on what you do, you may end
up with just a simple flat tire, or with your car in a ditch. Read on to learn
not only how to safely handle a blowout, but also what you can do to prevent
it, and what you should do afterward.
Prevention
A tire victory is an uncommon sort of punctured tire. The
side divider has burst, leaving an enormous tear in your tire that can't be
fixed. While many believe that a blown-out tire is caused in part by over
inflation, the true culprit is actually the opposite: tires that are
underinflated. It's not the elastic and steel that makes a tire ready to convey
the heaviness of a vehicle and its travelers. It is air. Without enough air,
the components inside the tires flex and heat until it all snaps and a blowout
occurs. In the event that the vehicle is conveying an overwhelming burden, at
that point, the probability of a victory is intensified. This is why it's
important to regularly check tire pressure. The proper pressure for a car's
tires is listed in the driver's side door jamb.
Another normal method to get a punctured tire is by driving
on exceptionally worn, old tires. After a while, the rubber starts to thin, and
a blowout becomes more likely. To check whether your tires are excessively
worn, utilize the penny test. Stick the edge of a penny into your tire's tread
so that Abe Lincoln's head is hidden by the tread. If you can see the top of
Lincoln's head, then your tires are too worn to drive on. However, if you
cannot afford to replace the tire, then try rubbing it with vegetable oil. The
oil will moisturize the rubber, allowing it to be more flexible and decrease
the chances of a blowout.
What to Do During a
Blowout
When your tire blows out, what you absolutely must not do is
apply the brake. Because one of your tires is now effectively useless, the
brake will be applied unevenly, causing your vehicle to veer. If you're driving
a van or SUV, then it's quite possible to flip your car by braking during a
blowout.
Instead, you need to press on the accelerator after a
blowout. This may seem counterintuitive, but when a tire blows out, your car's speed
may suddenly drop due to the drag caused by the flat tire. You must step on the
gas for only a moment so that any cars behind you won't be surprised by your
sudden drop in speed and ram into you.
After you have quickly pressed on the gas, you'll notice
that your car will want to veer in the direction of the blowout. Keep your car
steady, let it lose speed gradually, and only when you are going slower than 30
miles per hour should you steer the vehicle to the side of the road.
What to Do After a
Blowout
Once you have successfully steered your car to the side of
the road, you can start thinking about what steps you need to take next. You
should always have a spare tire on hand. Now is the time to change out the flat
and continue to the nearest service station. However, you need to make sure
there is enough room around your car to freely work in.
Don't try changing the tire if doing so will put you on the
road, and in a dangerous situation from oncoming traffic. If you don't have
enough room to change the tire, or if you don't have a spare, you need to call
a tow truck. Depending on where you are, you may decide to have the truck drop
off your car at home or at the nearest mechanic.
A blowout is likely to happen at least once in a
person's life. The important thing to do, above all else, is to remain calm. A
blowout is usually accompanied by a loud bang. Don't let this unnerve you.
Follow the correct safety procedures and you'll be on the road again in no
time.
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