What to Do if You Experience a Tire Blowout While Driving

The last thing that any person wants to experience is a tire blowout heading down the roadways of Texas, no matter what time of year. If you experience a tire blowout, you may not only be inconvenienced but the lives of you and your passengers may also be put in serious danger. Here, we want to review some of the basic steps individuals can take after they experience a tire blowout while driving.

What Are Common Causes of Tire Blowouts?

Tire blowouts on passenger vehicles can happen for many reasons, but natural wear over time and improper tire maintenance are common causes of incidents. If your tires are underinflated, they can generate excessive heat due to flexing. An overloaded vehicle can also be hazardous, as this may put more stress on your tires than they are capable of taking. In some cases, tires become damaged from roadside debris or potholes, creating weaknesses or punctures that later cause the tire to fail entirely. You should also be on the lookout for uneven tread wear, which can be caused by skipping tire rotations in some cases. All tires age and deteriorate, so keeping an eye on the tread depth and overall condition of your tires can help you avoid a sudden blowout while driving.

After a Tire Blowout, Your Immediate Safety is Vital

If you experience a tire blowout while driving on the road, your safety is the top priority. If you are able to safely do so, get the car to the shoulder of the road and out of the flow of traffic.

Remain calm when a tire blowout occurs, and keep your focus controlling the vehicle. Keep a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands and do not slam on the brakes. You should gradually take your foot off the gas pedal so that your car begins to slow down. Adjust the steering wheel as needed to keep the vehicle stable or to regain control, and attempt to steer the vehicle in the direction you want to go, preferably towards the shoulder of the road or in the median, if there is one. As soon as you have stopped, activate your emergency flashers.

If you are unable to get your car out of traffic, or even if just part of the vehicle is still sticking out in traffic, you will need to exit the vehicle and get to the shoulder. If you do have to exit the vehicle, make sure you go a little bit up the shoulder towards oncoming traffic so that if your vehicle does get struck, it does not end up hitting you or your passengers.

If you do not have to exit the vehicle, you should leave the vehicle running if the temperatures are cold or hot. Keep the air condition or heater flowing so that you and your passengers remain comfortable as you wait for assistance.

If you have a roadside emergency kit in your vehicle, similar to the ones that can be purchased in many retailers or online, look to see if you have any flares, reflectors, or triangle reflectors.

Who Should You Call if You Experience a Tire Blowout?

Many individuals have roadside assistance programs available to them. Often, this is through AAA, but there are certainly other roadside assistance programs available. In fact, many insurance carriers offer this as part of their services.

If you do have a roadside assistance program, you can call them and ask for help. Let them know that you have experienced a tire blowout and your vehicle will need to be towed to the nearest maintenance shop for repair. Usually, these roadside assistance programs will let you know how long it will take for the tow truck driver to reach you.

If you or anyone in your vehicle experienced an injury or feel particularly unsafe, given the location of the vehicle or the time of day the tire blowout occurred, dial 911 and explain your situation. If you are unsafe, this is an emergency. Do not feel bad about calling law enforcement officials or rescue officials for help when you need it. If you experienced an accident due to a tire pop, please call a car accident attorney in Houston for legal advice.