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West Virginia Drivers Face Risks from Tire Blowouts

West Virginia auto accident attorneyThis summer, as you take road trips or run errands, you could find yourself experiencing a dangerous tire blowout. Tire blowouts are likely to cause accidents because drivers lose control of a vehicle. They are much more likely to occur during the hottest months of the year, from mid-May to the end of October. This time of year is considered blowout season both because of excess heat damaging tires and because many people go on road trips in overfull vehicles or do projects resulting in the beds of their pickup trucks being too weighed down.

An experienced car accident lawyer knows there are a few simple steps you can take to try to reduce the chance a tire blowout will occur.

Prevention of Tire Blowout Accidents

To prevent tire blowout collisions, one of the most important things to do is to make sure you always have enough air pressure in your tires. While your car is probably equipped with a tire pressure monitor and alert system (these have been required in new vehicles since 2007), you should not just rely on this technology to tell you when it is time to put air in your tires.

Most alert systems are set up to tell you your tires are under-inflated only when there is a big problem with the tires and they are very low on air pressure. By the time you get alerted to a problem with your tires, it is possible internal components of the tires may already have sustained damage.

Air pressure can cause the tires to become damaged and can lead to a blowout because too little air means the components have to flex beyond where they are supposed to. Metal, fabric, rubber, and other internal and external components can stretch to the breaking point when the tire pressure is too low. This can cause a sudden blowout, with potentially devastating consequences.

Popular Mechanic indicates the heat of the summer makes the risk of under inflated tires much worse. When it is around 90 degrees outside, the heat on the pavement your tires drive on can get up to 150 degrees. This can lead a tire which has experienced internal damage or damage to the rubber to snap and break.

Another risk factor for tire blowouts is a car that is overloaded. Check your vehicle weight rating before filling the back of your pickup truck with stone for your outdoor landscape project or filling your SUV up with people and luggage for your summer trip to the beach. If the car is too full and heavy, too much pressure is put on the tires and a blowout is a real possibility.

Finally, it is important to watch for potholes and road obstacles. Hitting a pothole or other obstacle too hard can damage the tire to cause problems later or can cause an immediate blowout.

By following these basic tips, you can reduce the chance of a blowout accident and stay safe over the warm summer season.

 
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