Defective Tires and Auto Accidents

When purchasing a new vehicle, the safety of that vehicle is definitely an important consideration and a top priority for most consumers. We want to make sure the car has the most up-to-date safety features to ensure that both the driver and passengers will be safe in the event of an accident. Defective automobiles can cause catastrophic car accidents.

Anti-lock brakes, seat belts, and airbags are just a few of the safety features that are now standard on most vehicles. When we purchase a vehicle, however, it becomes our responsibility to keep it safe for travel. Frequent oil changes and brake checks should be routine. Most, however, forget about the importance of check the tires on their vehicle as well.

The tires on a vehicle are very, very important to the vehicle’s overall safety. Under-inflated tires are a very common cause of accidents, even though keeping your tires inflated is a relatively easy task. Some things to remember when checking your tire pressure is to check it while the tires are cold, before driving the vehicle. If you check your tires after you have been driving the vehicle, the tires are warm, which causes the air pressure to increase and could result in an inaccurate pressure reading. Under-inflated tires are much more susceptible to punctures. If you are driving at a high rate of speed on the highway and your tire is punctured, it could result in a blowout, which can lead to a loss of control and a devastating accident.

Another aspect of tire maintenance is the tread. Tire tread provides traction for the vehicle, and when the tread is low it can take much longer for a car to stop and it becomes very easy for a driver to lose control of the vehicle. Every time you get your oil changed, ask the repair man to check the tread on your tires as well, it could save you from being involved in an accident.

In addition to the maintenance checks suggested above that owners can do to ensure the safety of their tires, sometimes tires are just not designed or manufactured correctly. A very common defect in tires is tread separation. Tread separation is even more dangerous when it occurs on a vehicle with a high center of gravity, such as an SUV, and can result in a rollover accident.

Another common defect found in tires is a loss of tread. If the tire has not been manufactured properly, the tread may come right off the tire, which often results in a blowout, or a rapid, drastic loss of pressure. Blowouts make it almost impossible to retain control of the vehicle, and often result in catastrophic accidents.