How to Drive Through a Tire Blowout (Cars only)

Motofool · May 25th, 2014, 10:24 AM

Copied from
http://tires.about.com/od/Tire_Safet...re-Blowout.htm

"A tire blowout at high speed is one of the most dangerous automotive emergencies one can ever face. Michelin estimates that 535 fatalities and 2,300 collisions are caused by tire blowouts every year, in part because it turns out that the driver's usual instinctive response is exactly the wrong thing to do.

Prevention

The first step to handling blowouts is to expand the odds against one ever happening to you. The single most common cause of tire blowouts is underinflation, which is why tire pressure monitors are now mandatory on all cars after 2007. If the low pressure symbol on your dashboard (shown above) lights up, it means one or more of your tires has lost 25% of its rated pressure. Pull over as soon as safely possible to avoid damaging or blowing out the tire.

If you don't have tire pressure monitors, (and really, even if you do) keep an eye on your tire pressures. This can be one of the hardest things for drivers to remember to do – I'm terrible at it - but it can be vital to do it at least once a month. Tires will lose some air over time anyway, and underinflated tires will not only be at higher risk for blowouts, but will have a seriously bad effect on gas mileage, not to mention cutting down on the useful life of the tires.

Don't Panic!

Let's say you're driving down the highway at 65, enjoying a nice day out, and suddenly one of your right-side tires blows out. It can be the front or rear, it doesn't really matter. The first thing that happens is that the car veers to the right. The instinctive response is to slam on the brakes and yank the wheel to the left. The instinctive response is wrong. Doing this will most likely cause the car to lose all grip and yaw back to the left, putting the car at a 90-degree angle to your direction of travel. At this point you are no longer a driver, you are a projectile wrapped in a ton and a half of metal. The next thing that will happen is that the tires will regain grip and proceed to flip the car over. Now you're rolling. Rolling is bad. I hope you were belted in...

So, the single most important thing to do when a tire blows out is to control the panic reaction. I know, easier said than done, right? Some driving schools try to teach this by using tires rigged with small explosive charges to simulate a blowout condition. Failing that kind of difficult and expensive training, the best approach is to take some time and effort to fix the proper response in your head, so if this does ever happen to you, you're not in the car thinking, “Now what was it that tire guy said not to do? Oh yeah... that.”

With this in mind, I offer a simple and hopefully effective phrase to fix in your memory:

Drive Through

Keep your foot on the gas, steer in the direction of the skid and “drive through” the blowout. If necessary, give it even a bit more gas to overcome the initial drag that is pulling you to one side. You need the wheels to keep rolling to keep control of the car.

Gently correct your steering to bring the car back into line. When you have the car under control, start easing your foot off the gas to slow down.

Don't use more than minimal braking, and pull off the road when your speed has come down. If possible, pull off so that the blown tire is away from the road to make changing the tire safer and easier.

Don't go for the hazard lights until the car has stopped. Unless you can hit that button without looking, it takes your eyes and concentration off the road. The cars behind you have seen you swerve and are busy getting the heck out of your vicinity. You want to stay predictable while they do that.

I sincerely hope you never have a use for this information. Frankly, with today's tires and TPMS monitoring systems, the odds are against it. But if just a couple of minutes of visualization and some thought about how to react in the unlikely event can help to save your life, that's a pretty decent risk-management equation. So is checking your tire pressures and making sure you buckle up.

Ok. Lecture over."

Singh2jz · May 25th, 2014, 11:04 AM

This is good stuff. Would it make the vehicle handle better in a situation like this if the tires had a thin profile compared to one with thick profile?

Thanks for sharing!

Desmoluci · May 25th, 2014, 06:24 PM

Thanks for posting!
I need to check the tires on my truck now...

Sirref · May 25th, 2014, 07:24 PM

notable example of a blowout at speed

Link to original page on YouTube.

I've had this happen to me before, some hoodlum went around and slashed tires in my parking lot when I was living closer to the city. The tire popped on the highway and I slid a bit as I steered into it and floored it, luckily there wasn't anyone around though I only used up two lanes in the slide. I was one of the lucky ones, after a few crashes caused by it (2) everyone went out and checked their tires. They caught and arrested the kid a few days afterwards while he was at it again.

iamjacob · May 26th, 2014, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Singh2jz

This is good stuff. Would it make the vehicle handle better in a situation like this if the tires had a thin profile compared to one with thick profile?

Thanks for sharing!

Absolutely!

I've had 2 blowouts in my driving lifetime both drivers side fronts. 1 was a 50 series sport tire (maybe 3" sidewall) that I barely noticed, by the time I came to a stop the carcass had separated from both sidewalls. There was barely any steering difference when the tire went.

The second was a 36" off-road tire (probably 12" sidewall) and all I remember was hearing a bang and then the truck hit the center median. I'm not sure there was anything that I could have done to save it.

Singh2jz · May 27th, 2014, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamjacob

Absolutely!

I've had 2 blowouts in my driving lifetime both drivers side fronts. 1 was a 50 series sport tire (maybe 3" sidewall) that I barely noticed, by the time I came to a stop the carcass had separated from both sidewalls. There was barely any steering difference when the tire went.

The second was a 36" off-road tire (probably 12" sidewall) and all I remember was hearing a bang and then the truck hit the center median. I'm not sure there was anything that I could have done to save it.

Were you okay after the second accident? It has happened to me in a car with low profiles and I was like wtf, lol. It was all calm and stuff. Hopefully it doesn't happen to me in the pick-up!

iamjacob · May 27th, 2014, 01:13 AM

I was mostly fine. My left wrist hurt from jamming into the steering wheel when I hit the guard rail and my shoulder hurt from the seat belt but other than that I was cool.

The truck got totaled but I bought it back and turned it into a rock crawler.

It's hard to play it back in my mind weather I would have been able to save it had there been more room to react. I was in the fast lane and there was only 10 feet between the truck and the guard rail when the tire blew.

I'm just glad there was something to stop me when it happened and not a ravine or oncoming traffic.

May 25th, 2014, 10:24 AM	#1
Motofool Daily Ninjette rider Name: Hernan Location: Florida Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2007 Ninja 250 Posts: A lot. MOTY - 2016, MOTM - Dec '12, Jan '14, Jan '15, May '16	How to Drive Through a Tire Blowout (Cars only) Copied from http://tires.about.com/od/Tire_Safet...re-Blowout.htm "A tire blowout at high speed is one of the most dangerous automotive emergencies one can ever face. Michelin estimates that 535 fatalities and 2,300 collisions are caused by tire blowouts every year, in part because it turns out that the driver's usual instinctive response is exactly the wrong thing to do. Prevention The first step to handling blowouts is to expand the odds against one ever happening to you. The single most common cause of tire blowouts is underinflation, which is why tire pressure monitors are now mandatory on all cars after 2007. If the low pressure symbol on your dashboard (shown above) lights up, it means one or more of your tires has lost 25% of its rated pressure. Pull over as soon as safely possible to avoid damaging or blowing out the tire. If you don't have tire pressure monitors, (and really, even if you do) keep an eye on your tire pressures. This can be one of the hardest things for drivers to remember to do – I'm terrible at it - but it can be vital to do it at least once a month. Tires will lose some air over time anyway, and underinflated tires will not only be at higher risk for blowouts, but will have a seriously bad effect on gas mileage, not to mention cutting down on the useful life of the tires. Don't Panic! Let's say you're driving down the highway at 65, enjoying a nice day out, and suddenly one of your right-side tires blows out. It can be the front or rear, it doesn't really matter. The first thing that happens is that the car veers to the right. The instinctive response is to slam on the brakes and yank the wheel to the left. The instinctive response is wrong. Doing this will most likely cause the car to lose all grip and yaw back to the left, putting the car at a 90-degree angle to your direction of travel. At this point you are no longer a driver, you are a projectile wrapped in a ton and a half of metal. The next thing that will happen is that the tires will regain grip and proceed to flip the car over. Now you're rolling. Rolling is bad. I hope you were belted in... So, the single most important thing to do when a tire blows out is to control the panic reaction. I know, easier said than done, right? Some driving schools try to teach this by using tires rigged with small explosive charges to simulate a blowout condition. Failing that kind of difficult and expensive training, the best approach is to take some time and effort to fix the proper response in your head, so if this does ever happen to you, you're not in the car thinking, “Now what was it that tire guy said not to do? Oh yeah... that.” With this in mind, I offer a simple and hopefully effective phrase to fix in your memory: Drive Through Keep your foot on the gas, steer in the direction of the skid and “drive through” the blowout. If necessary, give it even a bit more gas to overcome the initial drag that is pulling you to one side. You need the wheels to keep rolling to keep control of the car. Gently correct your steering to bring the car back into line. When you have the car under control, start easing your foot off the gas to slow down. Don't use more than minimal braking, and pull off the road when your speed has come down. If possible, pull off so that the blown tire is away from the road to make changing the tire safer and easier. Don't go for the hazard lights until the car has stopped. Unless you can hit that button without looking, it takes your eyes and concentration off the road. The cars behind you have seen you swerve and are busy getting the heck out of your vicinity. You want to stay predictable while they do that. I sincerely hope you never have a use for this information. Frankly, with today's tires and TPMS monitoring systems, the odds are against it. But if just a couple of minutes of visualization and some thought about how to react in the unlikely event can help to save your life, that's a pretty decent risk-management equation. So is checking your tire pressures and making sure you buckle up. Ok. Lecture over." __________________________________________________ *Motofool* *.................................Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly* "Mankind is composed of two sorts of men — those who love and create, and those who hate and destroy. Love is the bond between men, the way to teach and the center of the world." - José Martí

May 25th, 2014, 11:04 AM	#2
Singh2jz ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Inderveer Location: San Jose Join Date: Nov 2012 Motorcycle(s): '07 ex250-F/J Posts: A lot.	This is good stuff. Would it make the vehicle handle better in a situation like this if the tires had a thin profile compared to one with thick profile? Thanks for sharing! __________________________________________________ The Bike \| The Truck

May 25th, 2014, 07:24 PM	#4
Sirref Private Joker Name: Ben Location: Towson, MD Join Date: Nov 2012 Motorcycle(s): '99/'01 Ninja 250 "sketchy", '13 Ninja 300 "yoshi", '03 GSXR 600 "merlin" Posts: A lot. MOTM - Mar '14	notable example of a blowout at speed Link to original page on YouTube. I've had this happen to me before, some hoodlum went around and slashed tires in my parking lot when I was living closer to the city. The tire popped on the highway and I slid a bit as I steered into it and floored it, luckily there wasn't anyone around though I only used up two lanes in the slide. I was one of the lucky ones, after a few crashes caused by it (2) everyone went out and checked their tires. They caught and arrested the kid a few days afterwards while he was at it again.
	1 out of 1 members found this post helpful.

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iamjacob ninjette.org guru Name: Jacob Location: Stockton, CA Join Date: Dec 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2011 250R SE Posts: 326	I was mostly fine. My left wrist hurt from jamming into the steering wheel when I hit the guard rail and my shoulder hurt from the seat belt but other than that I was cool. The truck got totaled but I bought it back and turned it into a rock crawler. It's hard to play it back in my mind weather I would have been able to save it had there been more room to react. I was in the fast lane and there was only 10 feet between the truck and the guard rail when the tire blew. I'm just glad there was something to stop me when it happened and not a ravine or oncoming traffic.