Ensuring that your tires are properly inflated can prevent a serious car accident resulting from a blowout.
Whether you are driving on a highway or on a street, the basic rules of safe driving remain the same. Maintain the correct lane, follow traffic rules, and use common sense. However, drivers often overlook the need to keep their vehicles in proper working condition. No matter how good a driver you are, if your vehicle is not in its best condition, it may cause trouble for you and your fellow travelers on the road. For example, it could be dangerous to drive without regularly checking the air pressure of your car’s tires.
Maintaining the correct inflation pressure of your tires not only ensures safe driving but also optimizes the performance of your car and its fuel economy. On the other hand, under inflated tires make it difficult to control the car while driving. Low air pressure in tires increases the risk of accidents, because a car with under inflated tires is difficult to steer or stop.
Low Inflation Pressure May Lead to a Tire Blowout
Tires with low air pressure increase rolling resistance and thus build up more heat than tires with correct inflation pressure. When air pressure is low, more of the tire comes in contact with the road and generates more heat. As the tire continues to lose inflation pressure, it generates more and more heat, which eventually leads to a tire blowout or an explosion. The consequences of a tire blowout could be devastating – not only for you, but also for other passengers in the car. If the blowout occurs in the front tire of your car, it could cause your car to change direction unexpectedly. A blowout in a rear tire may cause your car to turn, bend, or spin. Depending on your speed, you may lose control of your car after a blowout. Large vehicles, such as trucks and SUVs, may even rollover as a result of a blowout. Unfortunately, blowouts due to low air pressure in tires cause hundreds of fatal injuries every year.
How to Eliminate the Risk
The only way to reduce or eliminate the risks of driving under inflated tires is simply to make sure that the tires are always correctly inflated. Check the tire pressure regularly with a pressure gauge. Correctly inflated tires allow you to enjoy tire comfort and better car performance. Ideally, check the tire pressure once every month. However, you may want to increase the frequency during the summer season because tires lose pressure more rapidly when the temperature rises.
It is also important to check the inflation pressure of all four tires, ideally when the tires are at air temperature. Keep a spare tire handy, so that you can use it as a replacement when required. Checking the air pressure of your spare tire is also important. Take all the necessary steps to ensure your safety on the road. If you suffer an injury in a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence, contact a Chicago car accident lawyer from Willens & Baez to learn about your legal rights.
