Quickly recognizing you have a tire blowout or tire failure will give you more time to react. Having just a few extra seconds to remember what it is you’re supposed to do can help you avoid a car crash accident.
Tire blowout traffic accidents are all too common, even with these advances in tire technology. You know that tire blowouts and tire failure can still cause a significant number of accidents in Michigan and across the United States every year. Although car and truck drivers can lower the risk of a tire blowout by doing proper preventative maintenance, it is essential to understand what to do if a tire explosion happens to avoid causing a car accident.
Sound. The loud pop or bang sound after a tire blowout is should be easily recognized. You probably noticed it took a few seconds for your vehicle to react to a tire blowout, so you might have thought it was some other vehicle. But any time you hear a tire blowout, you’d be doing the best to assume it is your vehicle.
Vibration. If your vehicle started to thump or vibrate heavily, you felt the sign that one of the tires has gone flat. With a rear tire blowout, this may be the only sign you got.
Feel. If the steering feels heavy or tight, it is probably a sign that one of the front tires has blownout or failed. Sometimes, blowout or failure of a rear tire will cause the vehicle to slide back and forth or fishtail, which can lead to a car accident. However, trucks that have dual rear tires such as those commonly found on 18-wheeler trucks this is usually prevented from happening.
When a tire fails or a tire blows out, your vehicle is in danger and others sharing the road are in danger of a crash or being hit by tire debris. In the event of tire failure, you must immediately do the following:
Hold the steering wheel firmly. If your front tire blowsout or fails, it can twist the steering wheel out of your hand. The only way to prevent this is to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands at all times.
Stay off the brake. It’s natural to want to brake in an emergency. However, braking when a tire has blownout or failed could cause you to loss control of your car and crash. Unless you’re about to hit something, you should stay off the brake until the vehicle has slowed down. Then after the vehicle slows, brake very gently, pull off the road, and stop completely.
Check the Tires. After you’ve come to a stop after a tire blowout, get out and check all the tires. Do this even if the vehicle seems to be handling fine. If one of your big rig truck’s dual tires goes out, the only way you may know the tire has gone flat, is by getting out and looking at it.
If you've been hurt in a car accident you need to speak to an experienced car accident lawyer quickly. Please contact us online or call our Bloomfield Hills MI office directly at 866-HIRE-JOE to schedule your free consultation. We help accident victims in Michigan in all cities and towns.
