Detecting and Preventing Tire Separation from the Rim

Last updated Wednesday, September 6th, 2023

Learn How to Maintain Your Car Tires to Prevent Accidents

Tire damage leads to over 33,000 accidents in America each year. They could be caused by a flat tire, a tire blowout, or tire separation. It doesn’t matter! What matters is that almost every car accident caused by tire damage is preventable.

However, tire separation is guaranteed to cause the most damage because of how sudden and devastating its consequences can be. Your tire is for your car what your limb is to your body. Losing it means losing your car’s foundation and stability.

Imagine what happens if your front right tire breaks away while you’re driving at 80 mph on a busy highway. It could damage your fender, make you lose control, and crash into the side barrier or another vehicle. Jamming your brakes or swerving around won’t help much when the foundation is wrecked.

Let’s find out how you can avoid this crisis by detecting and preventing tire separation on time.

Understanding Tire Separation

A tire tread is the rubber lining that makes contact with the road to provide traction. It helps your car grip the road without excess friction or skidding.

Tire separation is caused by this outer lining wearing out and separating from the rest of the tire. Most vehicles use a strong steel-belted tire tread system. It helps fuse the tire tread with the steel casing as much as possible. However, it’s not reliable in all cases.

Here are three common causes of tire separation:

1. Manufacturer’s defects – You’ll be able to spot troubling signs soon after purchasing your tire. You may sense unnecessary vibrations or feel an imbalance while driving your car. Look out for cuts, bumps, or wavy patterns on your tire treads. They’re early warnings of an impending tire separation. Manufacturer defects usually happen when the tire and steel casing bonding stage is done improperly. It can also be caused by improper curing or poor quality control during the manufacturing process.
2. Wear and tear – Each tire has a maximum mileage limit. The tire tread starts rapidly wearing out after that point. It reduces tire traction and increases the risk of tread separation. Commercial vehicle drivers have to be much more vigilant about their tire conditions. Driving hundreds of miles daily with heavy loads can wear out your car tires a lot faster. It’s also important to be mindful about driving your car in extreme weather conditions or harsh terrains.
3. Overinflation or underinflation – Your tire will quickly start wearing out if it’s below or above the optimum tire pressure level. Your tire may overheat and increase the shocks you feel while driving on the road.

Grasping the Consequences

Tire separation accidents can lead to severe car crashes and devastating injuries.

Here are some common injuries you may face in such accidents:

• Deep cuts and burns
• Fractures
• Nerve damage
• Internal bleeding
• Whiplash
• Spinal injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries

Wrecking your health is step one. Wrecking your finances is step two. Now you’re going to struggle to get your insurance payout to cover huge medical bills and car repair costs.

Replacing a single tire would’ve cost you just $50-$200. But losing a tire that leads to a high-speed crash is probably going to total your vehicle. So expect to pay 10 to 20 times more than that amount now. That’s why regular tire maintenance should be at the top of your safety priority list.

A separated tire can turn into a dangerous projectile at high speeds. It can wreck another vehicle or seriously injure a pedestrian. You may be held liable for their injuries and damages.

Detecting Impending Tire Separation

Here are some key signs to watch out for that indicate your tire could separate soon:

• Rotate the tire slowly and make a note of any straight lines
• Identifying wavy lines that indicate a bubble under the tire
• Check for worn or bald spots on the tread
• Cuts and lacerations on the tire
• Excess vibrations while driving
• A sense of imbalance while driving

Don’t wait for things to get worse. Doing that could lead to the worst-case scenario. If you’ve spotted any of the signs above in your car, you should consult your local mechanic.

Even going for a periodic tire pressure check at a gas station is enough to help you take the next step. You should do it at least once a month. Ensure each tire’s pressure is within the optimum range. Check the recommended PSI levels for your vehicle in the manufacturer’s manual.

Irreparable Damage and Replacement

A separated tire or a tire on the verge of separation can’t be saved. It either has an irreparable manufacturer defect or suffered far too much wear and tear. No reputed mechanic will agree to repair it because there’s no reliable way to fix this damage.

This is not a DIY repair project you can experiment with without playing with your life. You need to get a brand-new tire to stay safe on the roads.

Remember, it costs nearly nothing to replace your tires compared to the costs of repairing your wrecked car.

You’ll notice that the front tires tend to wear out faster than the rear ones. That’s because they’re more actively involved in maneuvering the car.

However, there’s one simple trick to even out your tire tread wear and tear. You can switch your front and back tires every 5,000 to 10,000 miles to ensure they wear out at the same pace. This tire rotation trick will keep your car functioning consistently for a longer period without needing any premature replacement.

Spreading Awareness for Safety

Our team of car accident lawyers has helped several families get compensated after getting injured in an accident caused by a tire separation. We can empower you with the legal power to help you recover, but we also care about preventing these accidents from happening in the first place. And the best way to keep our roads safe is to ensure every driver fulfills their duty of care to each other.

Every time you step out to drive, your loved ones are putting their lives in your hands. The least you can do is take charge of the way you drive and the condition of your car.

It’s easy to identify the warning signs of a tire that’s about to separate. Just check your tire pressure and treads once every month. Share these tips with your friends and family too. Let’s make Georgia a safer place to drive together.

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