Last Updated on December 30, 2024
How Poor Road Conditions and Bad Driving Lead to More Tire Blowouts Across America
When we talk about the durability of car tires, we are primarily concerned about the quality of the products, the wear, and how many miles you can get from each set of tires. Another important aspect of everyday driving is road quality and driving habits. Let’s put it this way: even if you own the world’s best car tires (if there is such a thing), an array of things could quickly destroy your rubber, from nasty potholes to reckless driving. Luckily, there are ways to extend the longevity and health of your tires, and today, we will tell you how.
How the Road Conditions Affect Tires
According to the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers), 43% of America’s roadways are in poor or mediocre condition. As of 2024, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI) reports that one out of every three bridges in the United States needs to be repaired or replaced. Meaning most of the paved roads, highways, and streets in the USA have potholes, cracks, bumps, and/or nasty surprises. This data also means that you are likely to encounter damaged roads regardless of where you reside.
And even if you never directly hit a pothole or sharp edges, repeated exposure to rough terrains can weaken tire integrity over time, even if the damage isn’t immediately visible. Other factors include road debris, like nails, glass, and sharp objects, which can cause slow leaks or sudden blowouts, and extreme weather conditions (hot or cold/icy surfaces). Expanding ice also destroys the road, resulting in further damage come springtime. Driving on improper tires during the summer or winter will also accelerate tire wear and damage.
What Driving Habits Are Bad For Your Tires?
On the extreme end, performing massive burnouts can melt your tires in a matter of minutes – but this is an uncommon (even illegal) instance of driving behavior. However, you’d be surprised that even less aggressive driving can cause premature damage, blowouts, and tire damage.
Here are habits to be aware of:
- Correct Tire Pressure: Driving with underinflated or overinflated tires is a bad idea since hitting the potholes will affect the rubber even more than usual. Recent research shows that underinflated tires are responsible for about 85% of blowouts.
- Overloading the tires: Exceeding a vehicle’s weight limit places excessive pressure on the tires, leading to overheating and blowouts.
- Improper towing: No one likes to be towed, but it may happen on occasion. When done improperly, it can strain tires, especially on steep inclines or during sudden stops.
- Hard acceleration and hard stops: Good driving, which includes gradual stops and acceleration will prolong the health of your tire. Hard stops and starts will increase wear exponentially.
- High-speed driving: High speeds generate excessive heat, especially during long highway trips. Heat is a leading cause of tire failure, and this problem is more common in hot summer. If you want to drive fast for a prolonged period, look for tires with high-speed ratings designed for such purposes.
Of course, let’s not forget the tire age – aged or expired tires increase the likelihood of a catastrophic failure. After several years, regardless of the number of miles, rubber starts to deteriorate and lose its ability to handle, grip, brake, or steer. If you’re driving smart, you can greatly reduce the risk of blowouts and accidents – never try to overextend the life of your tire when immediate replacement is a much safer option.
How To Be Safe On The Roads
Although you cannot change the surface conditions or the weather or clear the road debris, you can apply several game-changing tactics to prevent blowouts and tire failures.
The first is to invest in proper tires – not just according to the season (summer, winter, all-season) but also the best tire set you can get according to your vehicle specifications, driving habits, and use. A quality tire with good compound and technology will go a long way. Also, if you are concerned about blowouts from potholes or cracks, you should consider using run-flat tires with stronger sidewalls, which are proven more durable than standard car tires.
Always monitor tire pressure, rotate the tires regularly (5 to 7,000 miles), and replace the tires when they are old, regardless of the mileage. Avoid aggressive driving, hard acceleration, or braking, and keep your eye on the road surface, especially if you are driving on it for the first time. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) published a report stating that in 2022, there were over 11,000 crashes and over 550 fatalities from tire-related crashes and accidents. You don’t want to be a part of that statistic.
Conclusion
While we wait for the national and local governments to invest in rejuvenating the road network and making it safer and user-friendly, it is crucial to prepare for anything that we might encounter. We can do this by investing in dependable rubber, keeping the focus on the road ahead, and following the manufacturers’ recommendations.
