Truck accidents are highly dangerous. Trucks are large in size and weight than other vehicles plying on the road. Additionally, the big rigs are required to haul cargo from one destination to another. These factors make the impacts of the truck accidents catastrophic.
Numerous truck accidents occur each year. There are various causes of truck accidents. Some of the most common reasons behind truck accidents include speeding, poor maintenance of trucks, driver errors caused due to fatigue or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and so on.
One of the causes of truck accidents involves tire blowout. Let’s take a look at it in details.
What is a Tire Blowout?
A truck tire contains pressurized air which keeps the tire properly inflated. In the event of any hazard like a sharp material cutting or tearing through the structural components of a tire, the impact is felt as a tire blowout. In other words, the tire blowout of a truck is caused by the rapid release of inflation pressure of the tire, resulting in an explosion.
Sometimes a truck’s tire blows out by losing pressure over a considerable period of time.
What Happens When a Truck’s Tire Blows Out?
Truck tire blowouts are extremely violent. The pressure in a commercial truck’s tire is very large. Therefore, when a truck’s tire blows, compressed air is released rapidly through the tear. This is why such an accident is accompanied by a tremendously loud sound and the effects are disastrous.
For tires that deflate over time, the driver may not even notice this. This turns out to be quite detrimental for the tires since it increases the pressure on the other tires on the axle, thus damaging them considerably.
How to Avoid Truck Tire Blow Out
There are various ways to prevent a truck’s tire from blowing out. Let’s take a look at some of these methods here.
- Maintain the Truck Well
A truck should be maintained properly in order to ensure that its components do not malfunction. This is to ensure that the truck meets all the safety requirements that are required to be followed for safe transportation. This will ensure that there is no mechanical error in the truck that may lead to the tire blowout or any other accident on the road.
- Check the Pressure of the Tire Regularly
The truck’s tires should be properly inflated at all times in order to prevent tire blowouts. An under-inflated tire can blow out since the gaps in the tire can get filled with heat and this can cause the air inside the tire to expand, thus causing an explosion. Over-inflated tires are prone to blowouts since it increases the pressure on the tire, thus causing it to explode. Regular checks will ensure that the tire pressure is at the accurate level and such accidents are prevented.
- Drive Carefully
Most of the truck tire blowout accidents occur on damaged roadways that are filled with potholes and other hazards. The trucks should be driven carefully on all kinds of roads to prevent accidents. All traffic rules should be followed at all times.
What to Do in the Event of Tire Blowouts
Usually, the first response after a truck’s tire blowout is to brake. This is a natural reaction for most truck drivers. However, this can worsen the entire situation even more. Instead of braking, the driver should slow down. This is because, when the driver attempts to screech to a halt, it will cause the blown tire to drag even harder on the road. This, in turn, will cause the truck to veer towards one side, thus resulting in an accident. The harder the driver brakes, the worse will be the situation.
At the first sign of trouble, the steering wheel should be gripped tightly. Drivers should avoid over-steering and keep the truck moving straight ahead along the road.
Drivers should try to make an exit in the event of a tire blowout. They should also signal the other vehicles on the road about any lane change that the driver needs to make for this purpose.
Contributed by:http://www.texas-truckaccidentlawyer.com/
