Most drivers experience a tyre blowout at least once in their lifetime. If you’re lucky, it will just involve a sudden shock and pulling in off the road until help comes. In other incidences it may be deadly, so it’s important that you have done the utmost to prevent a tyre blowout on your own car. If you’re unlucky enough to have it happen anyway, then knowing what steps to take to ensure your safety and that of others on the road, can actually be a life-saver.
Tow trucks in Perh are kept busy with accidents resulting from tyre blowouts – they are one of the many causes of accidents on our roads. But why do they happen? If a tyre is damaged enough, it will burst, losing air pressure and throwing the steering out of control. This can have catastrophic consequences, particularly at high speeds, so take heed of these 6 simple tips to keep your tyres in the best possible condition.
- Invest in a good brand – Research into good brands and which are the best for the roads you drive on. If you’re travelling long distances in WA, it’s good to pay a little extra for a tyre you know you can rely on.
- Proper Inflation – Even if a tyre has defective design, proper inflation may prevent a blow out. Always ensure you have enough air in your tyres, and check the pressure weekly. You should be able to insert a key into the grooves, or get a tyre pressure gauge to keep in your vehicle so you know if the tyres are at their required PSI.
- Daily Glance – Have a look before you get in your car every day to make sure there is no visual damage – broken glass or debris may have caused a tear, so if you see anything, you can have it repaired before any serious effects.
- Thorough checks before a long journey – Tyre blowouts rarely ‘just happen’, usually they occur after months of wear and tear, or neglect. Don’t set off on a long journey without thoroughly checking for any warning signs. If any tyre looks a little soft, be sure to stop off at a service station to inflate.
- Don’t overload the vehicle – Too much weight in a vehicle can be disastrous, as it puts excessive pressure on the tyres. Stick to the weight limits recommended by the manufacturers. Also, check the correct PSI for your vehicle type and load. It may feel inconvenient to make two trips instead of one to prevent overloading, but it could prove very costly in the long run.
- Check your tyres in a heat wave – In the sunny Perth climate, we’re often subject to heat waves. This can present dangers for your tyres too. Check the tyre pressure in the early morning when it’s cooler, as during the day the air inside the tyre expands and can give a faulty air pressure reading.
Remember that anything that affects the air pressure can prevent the tyres from supporting the weight of the vehicle. This in turn causes a blowout, which can lead to a car accident.
Once you’ve taken the correct measures to prevent a blowout they don’t happen, right? Not necessarily. Potholes or a small puncture that you couldn’t see can result in a blowout, so it’s helpful to train yourself in how to deal with them.
- Keep a safe distance – You never know when a tyre blowout will happen to yours or another vehicle so make sure to stay a safe distance behind trucks and cars. This will allow you to see foreign objects in the road and also ensure that you won’t crash in the initial bang of the blowout if it happens to either vehicle.
- Don’t panic – Normally drivers hear the loud bang and react drastically. Whilst this is a natural reaction, slamming on the breaks or changing your steering could have a very negative impact and actually cause an accident as you lose control. Practice staying calm and keep two hands on the steering wheel at all times.
- Try to maintain speed initially – If you can preserve your cars’ momentum momentarily it will help greatly as you’ve lost a quarter of the cars’ traction. Let the car slow down of its’ own accord.
- Keep control of your steering – If it’s a front tyre blowout, the car will pull heavily to one side. Firmly correct the course and keep the steering in a straight line. A back tyre blowout will likely make the car weave so once again, counter-steer to avoid drifting to another lane of traffic and to prevent any collisions. Changing to a lower gear may help but only do so if you can control the steering with one hand.
Pull over to a safe spot – Once you’ve gained control of the car and have eased off the gas, carefully pull in where it is safe. Contact an experienced Perth tow truck company, such as Executive Towing Services, to come and assist.- Keep a spare tyre in your trunk – A burst tyre is no more use; do not drive any further than is necessary to get you to safety. Remember that space saver tyres can only be used in emergencies and you must drive more slowly as they are not as stable.
Hopefully with these tips, you can avoid a car accident. Proper planning and careful driving go along way to preventing the worst.
If you’ve had a tyre blowout and need a tow truck in Perth, be sure to have Executive Towing Services contact details in your phone. Call 0410 471 056 for immediate assistance and our friendly, experienced operators will be happy to help.