According to a study done in Europe, roughly 6.7% of accidents are caused by tire blowouts that cause the driver of a vehicle to lose control and collide with another vehicle or damage property. Truck tire blowouts are usually more dangerous to vehicles that happen to be nearby than they are to the truck driver, due to the distribution of weight over eighteen tires. In some instances, a blown tire may cause a trucker to lose control and cause a truck accident, however. The main concern over a blown truck tire is the size of the tire, the pressure of the blast and the resulting debris.
Damage to Other Vehicles on the Road Due To Tire-Blow Outs On Trucks
Simply running over a truck tire tread can damage a vehicle and if the vehicle is near the truck at the time of a blowout, the tread may hit the hood of the car or the windshield, causing damage to the car and possibly causing another accident as the driver of the vehicle attempts to avoid the debris. The physical force of the tire blowing out is enough to damage a car that is driving alongside the truck at the time it blows out. These incidents have been known to claim the lives of other drivers on the road and cause severe injuries in other instances.
Passenger Vans More Prone to Tire Blowout Accidents
In the study, it was revealed that vans were much more likely to have blown tires than any other type of vehicle. Of the accidents studied, 22% occurred in vans, which are extremely popular commercial vehicles used in the delivery of mail and packages. Blowouts in vehicles that have only four wheels are at greater risk of causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and collide with another. Since rear wheel blowouts have a higher frequency of lost control, it is recommended to place better tires on the rear wheels and to inspect them often for signs that they may need to be replaced.
The Frequency of Tire Blowouts Contributing to Truck Accidents Involving Injury Or Death
Luckily 87% of accidents that were the result of blowouts only involved a single vehicle, but even if the vehicle failed to collide with another, there is still a risk of property damage, especially in the event that the driver of a large tractor trailer loses control. In 13% of the tire blowouts, at least one other vehicle was involved in the accident and this number, while not a majority, is still significant. If a truck driver experiences a blowout due to a failure of the trucking company to properly maintain and replace the truck’s tires, the company may face litigation for any damages that result.
Tire and vehicle manufacturers may face heat as well if it is found that a blowout related to a serious accident could have been caused by a defective part or tire. Most truck tires are not new tires, however, and are refurbished with new treads in order to cut back on the cost of replacing the whole tire. This practice may be a contributing factor in the number of truck accidents that occur as a result of a tire blowout. There is nothing wrong with using a refurbished product if it is safe, but if a company fails to inspect equipment that could cause a truck accident in the event of a failure, that company must account for any damages that result.
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