‘This is a life-safety risk,’ cry drivers as car owner ignores note about dangerous tire issue – & it’s a common mistake
DRIVERS shared a photo of a tire in dangerous but inconspicuous condition – commenters shared tips on how to avoid it.
There are three common contributors to the condition and only one fix.
Redditors took to the r/mildlyinfurating subreddit to discuss the condition of a coworker’s tire.
“Left a note under my coworker’s windshield telling them about the state of their front right passenger side tire and they keep driving on it,” read the post.
The Volkswagen’s tire was low on tread, and therefore wouldn’t be much help in a rain storm, but that wasn’t the main issue.
Looking at the sidewall, a large bubble protruded just over the rim’s end.
Bubbles in the tire are extremely dangerous, as it means there are a few things that could have happened the driver possibly missed.
First, the tire may have been accidentally over-inflated.
This can happen if a digital tire pressure tool isn’t zeroed out before being plugged into the valve.
If it isn’t zeroed out it may not recalibrate, and may list out the pressure incorrectly – leading to overinflation.
Overinflation can lead to bubbles when the pressure is so high it distorts the tire.
A tire with too much pressure is at an extreme risk of blowout, which as many Redditors on the thread were keen to point out, can flip a car while in motion and harm the driver and those near them.
“Fun fact: A highway speed side wall blow-out of a front tire is one of the few ways to flip a car,” a reader wrote.
Another way this tire could have been damaged is from a very rough collision with a curb or median.
If the collision is hard enough, it can “pinch” or cause stress to the rubber, leading to distortion.
One Redditor described a bubble in a tire as a “hernia.”
“There is a metal mesh inside the rubber of tires to strengthen it, this is why your tires require a certain PSI of inflation for safety reasons,” one Redditor wrote, responding to a question as to how bubbles happen.
“If your wheel hits a rock or curb or speed bump, over time it can wear out the meshes and rubbers cohesion integrity and tear this mesh effectively causing your tire to ‘hernia’ in a sense.”
The car should be deemed inoperable until the tire is replaced. Not only are they placing themselves at risk they’re placing every person they drive in proximity to at risk. Going through a tough time is not an excuse to place others at risk.
Redditor
The original poster expressed frustration with the driver for not taking proper precautions by having the tire replaced immediately.
Some sympathetic users offered the perspective of the coworker possibly going through a hard time.
Others think it’s not a valid excuse to put other drivers at risk.
“That’s irrelevant,” wrote a user.
“The car should be deemed inoperable until the tire is replaced. Not only are they placing themselves at risk they’re placing every person they drive in proximity to at risk. Going through a tough time is not an excuse to place others at risk.”
Examining the condition of tires
As a driver, it’s important to be able to identify potentially dangerous problems with tires and how to spot precursors. Here’s what to look for:
- Regularly examine the tread depth of the tire. It is a great way to understand how much life there is in a tire before it needs to be replaced. You can use a quarter or a penny to check the depth. If the president’s head can be fully seen, start saving for new tires.
- Examine the sidewall for cracks or bubbles, especially after colliding with a curb or median. A bubble may not show up immediately, so it’s important to keep an eye on it for a while before dismissing it.
- When inflating a tire with a digital pressure reader, always zero it out before plugging it into the valve to ensure previous data is erased.
- Have your tires regularly balanced and rotated at the proper intervals, as tire inspections are a part of the service.
- Understand the warranty (if any) that came with the tires. Many times new tires will have a warranty for certain types of damage, and that can help get a damaged tire replaced for free or at a discount.
- Learn to read the sidewall of a tire. Even if the tread is within spec, a tire can still be dangerous if it’s too old.
Source: Columbus Nissan
More Redditors wrote that Discount Tire will finance people at zero percent APR, giving more drivers a chance to get new tires.
Some mentioned tire shops will sell used tires at a low cost to help get drivers back on the road with a safer tire until they can afford to replace it.
Several other Redditors commented about their personal near-death experiences from driving on a tire they knew was in bad condition but neglected to fix.
As far as leaving more notes on the car, the Redditor indicated in the comment that they’re not sure if it’s worth the effort after they ignored the first warning.
“It is not your duty to be their guardian angel because they clearly already have one,” wrote a user in response.
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