Why Tyre Burst and How to Prevent It?

All About Tyre Burst: Why Does It Happen and How to Prevent It?

Did you know an under-inflated tyre can kill you? This is especially true during the summer season.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), in the US, around 33,000 road accidents happen because of tyres, out of which 2,000 accidents happen because of tyre blowout.

As mentioned earlier, a tyre burst can be fatal. Between 2000 and 2015, on average 200 people died per year due to tyre burst related accidents.

In Pakistan, a retired four-star general died in a road accident when his SUVs tyre burst on a Motorway. It goes to show that even expensive vehicles with branded tyres are not immune to such dangerous situations.

There are many reasons why a tyre might burst on the road. Let’s discuss them and what can be done to avoid or prevent it.

1. Using Second Hand Tyres

Using second hand tyres that are of low quality is one of the most common reasons for tyre bursts.

To save money, people sometimes overlook quality. This practice can be dangerous and cannot be encouraged. Used tyres in Pakistan are often of low quality. Importers import them because they get them dirt cheap. With not much life left in them, they are sold in the local market, ending up on the roads and causing fatal accidents.

2. Driving at High Speed

Every tyre is made for a specific speed. If someone has normal tyres but the habits of a race car driver, he is looking for trouble. If the speed exceeds a specific point, the structure of the tyre will become incapable of handling it leading to tyre burst.

3. High Temperature

As mentioned earlier, car tyres are particularly susceptible to bursts during the summer season.

Now, let’s go back to school days. If you remember we have all studied how temperature is directly proportional to pressure. The heat in the environment causes the air in the tyres to get hotter and pressurized which causes them to expand. Beyond a certain point, the tyre loses its ability to expand and even a small external force, like a road bump, pops the tyre.

Along with this, the friction present between the road surface and the tyre also heats the external part and weakens the rubber.

4. Under-Inflation

Another common cause of tyre burst is under-inflated tyres. Under-inflated tyres face excessive flexing which increases their contact with the road. This produces more friction leading to excessive heat build-up inside the tyre.

The heat that builds up in this case is higher than what your car’s tyre experiences on a hot summer day. The rest of the story is the same – high temperature inside the tyre, expansion of air leading to tyre burst.

5. Overloading Your Car

As each tyre is made for a specific speed and over speeding can burst it, putting excess weight on a tyre can burst it too.

Every tyre has a load index which defines how much weight it can bear. If the load index is not followed and if your tyres are underinflated, your car can suffer a tyre burst.

6. Direct Impact

Another important reason which leads to tyre bursts. We live in a country where, unfortunately, the condition of roads is disappointing.

Although most of us have trained ourselves to avoid obstacles, potholes and bumps on the road, it is not possible to avoid them all the time. When you hit such an obstacle, it is possible that it could lead to a slashed tyre surface. The slash allows the air to escape leading to an under-inflated tyre which results in a tyre burst.

7. Installation Without Proper Knowledge

Except for professionals, none of us is a proper tyre changing professional. Installing tyres without proper know how or upsizing them without the right calculations can lead to a tyre burst.

Now that we have talked about the reasons behind a tyre burst, let’s discuss how to prevent it from happening.

How To Prevent A Tyre Burst

You can take the following measures to prevent a tyre burst:

Ensure Good Condition of Your Tyre

All the tyres come with a tread wear indicator bar which tells you when your tyre needs to be replaced. The depth of the tread should ideally be 1.5mm. As soon as it starts decreasing, the indicator bar will overlap the remaining tyre which will be a sign of your tyre being worn out.

If your car’s tyre is in the above mentioned condition, we recommend that you drive at a slow speed and change the tyre.

Ensure Your Tyre Has the Correct Pressure

As mentioned above, under-inflation is one of the major causes of tyre bursts. Tyre pressure reduces as temperature reduces and increases with heat. So, we suggest you to be mindful of the weather conditions around you as it will help you in maintaining the ideal pressure.

Do Not Overload

Loading your car with bags of luggage and people is an open invitation to tyre bursts. Each car is manufactured to cater only a certain level of weight, make sure you stick to that limit.

Choose Reputed Brands

Reputed brands spend millions on R&D, resulting in good quality tyres. Unfortunately, our local markets are awash with smuggled used tyres of very low quality, which one should avoid buying.

Choose a Tyre With an Appropriate Speed Rating

Along with the dimensions, the speed limit of a tyre is mentioned on its side wall. If 225/55 R17 97W” is written on the tyre, it means that W is the speed rating. Symbols with their maximum speed rating are given below: