Tyre bursts on the high way contribute a shocking percentage to road carnage.
Any driver out there will admit that it’s at the top of the list of their fears, it’s an absolute nightmare as more often than not a tyre burst leads to a complete loss of control of the vehicle. If your vehicle has a high clearance, say SUVs or Bakkies there is the horrific possibility of a flip-over, too.
Suffice to say a blowout is perilous no matter how good a driver you are or how safe your car is.
But as always there is a silver lining in the cloud, the good news is, with tyre technology continually improving, blowouts are becoming an infrequent occurrence. Still, they do happen and it’s best that you know what to do if you suffer one.
1 Start with maintaining a safe driving speed; there are just no two sides to this. The lower your speed, the higher your chance of survival. A blowout at 80–90 km/h (50–56 mph) will be far less dramatic than one at 140–150 km/h (87–93 mph). Indeed, if you survive a tire burst at 150 km/h (93 mph), consider it a gift from God.
2 Never HIT the BRAKES! Of course, this is easier said than done, as our brains are hardwired to instinctively jam the brake pedal in an emergency. Hard braking is actually the worst thing you can do as it will further imbalance the vehicle and throw it out of control.
3 Don’t suddenly take your foot off the accelerator pedal. Slowly and gradually take the foot off the accelerator. Actually, one leading tyre manufacturer recommends that you maintain your accelerator input for a moment, before releasing it slowly. The deceleration force from a blown tire is so strong that your car will anyway slow down rapidly. If your car has cruise control and you have it on, turn it off as quickly as soon as you can.
4 Try your level best to keep the vehicle pointed straight. Cornering or turning with a blown tire will greatly upset the car’s composure. If your car is pulling to one side, you might need to pull the steering in the opposite direction to keep it going straight. This is critical, else you risk drifting into the road divider or worse still, the opposite lane.
5 Do not attempt to over-correct. The key is to maintain the vehicle’s stability. A sharp yank of the steering wheel can result in a rollover. Even when you have gained control and are slowly moving to a safe parking spot, do so with the mildest steering inputs possible.
6 Allow the vehicle to gradually coast to a stop. Use engine braking if necessary. Lightly engage the brakes only when your car has decelerated to a slow speed. Use the turn indicators and pull over safely off the road. Drive on the bare metal wheel if you have to, but do not stop in the middle of the road as you run the risk of getting rear-ended by a speeding car. Remember to activate your hazard lights when stopped.
Ever had a tyre blow out? Got some additional Tips you can share? Please make use of the comment boxes below
Source:With Information from Wikihow
!
