21. Tire Blowouts.

If you spend enough time driving on a highway, you are sure to drive by the scattered pieces of a blown-out or fragments of a tire tread separation — especially on the freeway — from trucks and tractor trailers. A blowout occurs when a flat tire is so severely damaged that immediately loses all air pressure and causes a driver to lose control, which is why it is one of the top causes of car accidents.

Most car accident lawyers know that catastrophic and fatal big rig truck accidents are often the result of a major tire blowout.

Indeed, all of us have heard about defective tires in the news; but many of the tires, even though defectively designed, might not have blown out if they were properly inflated. This is no excuse for a tire manufacturer. As experienced car accident attorneys, we strongly encourage car owners to examine their own set of wheels, what brand are they and whether or not they are they safe to drive on.

How can this safety check be done? Simple, take your car to a reputable tire dealer for inspection, rotation and maintenance. It is recommend that you perform daily checks of your tires, which could be as easy as looking if the wheels are properly inflated. Certainly, if the tire is soft or almost flat, we believe a car driver should be able to notice or feel it when driving, long before a dangerous car accident could occur.

What Causes Tire Blowouts That Create Car Accidents?

Potholes
Large cut that causes rapid air loss.
Small puncture to the wheel that allows air loss slowly over time until the tire pressure fails.
Overloading the car causes the tire to give way.

In short, blowouts can happen at anytime. Just remember, anything that severely diminishes the air pressure and prevents the tire from supporting the weight of the automobile will likely cause a blowout that could lead to a car accident.

The good news is that car accidents, caused by blowouts, have decreased in recent years due to improvements in tire technology. Yet, when a blowout does occur, the resulting car accident can be much more dangerous because people are not as accustomed to them. What a driver does after the tire blowout is what can prevent the car accident from occurring.

When a tire blows out, in just a quarter-second’s time, your car goes from an easy ride to a deadly struggle to remain control and avoid an auto accident. Many times, drivers react to the loud explosion of their tire and react drastically. Drivers will jerk their wheels and slam on their brakes, both of which can make it very difficult to control their cars. Since they have lost one-quarter of their traction, making any sudden movements with their cars can become a dangerous endeavor.

Tips For Avoiding Cars Accident Caused By Blowouts

Here are some tips, from experienced car accident lawyers, to help you safely survive a blowout:

1. Prepare ahead of time. Periodically, check your tires for sufficient traction (you should be able to get a key into your tires’ grooves) and air pressure (check your car’s manual for the correct levels) as this can help prevent a flat tire in the first place. Also, having two hands on the steering wheel at all times will allow you to maintain control at a moment’s notice. It may be all the time that you have to avoid a wrongful death car accident.

2. Continue your rate of speed immediately after the blowout. It is important to preserve your car’s momentum as you will lose a great percentage of your car’s traction.

3. Gently counter-steer to offset pulling by the blown tire. This should decrease the chances of drifting into another lane or oncoming traffic and help you avoid a head-on auto accident.

4. Once the car stabilizes, begin to slow down and carefully pull over to the side of the road. From there you can collect yourself and contact a tow truck operator.

5. Always drive a safe distance behind the car or truck ahead of you. This way, you can see foreign objects in the road, such as old tire treads, many which are quite large and dangerous.

Call Our Lawyers If You’ve Been Injured From Car Accidents Caused By A Tire Blowout

These car accident prevention safety tips should help you maintain control of a deadly situation, and hopefully avoid an auto accident; but we can assure you that nothing will help the situation more than if you practice safe driving habits.

By driving the speed limit and maintaining a safe distance from the other cars on the road, you should be able to successfully navigate a blown tire and avoid a car accident. Careful driving and proper planning will give you a better chance to survive a blown tire without a wrongful death car accident.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident that was caused by tire blowouts then call us now at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a FREE consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer. Since 1992, our San Diego law office has been geared primarily towards auto accident claims. We know how the insurance companies work, so let our insider knowledge help you in your time of need.

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[caption id="attachment_21715" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo Credit: The San Diego Union Tribune"][/caption] Last week, we reported on a car accident in San Diego that resulted out of alleged teen street racing. In new developments, the 18-year-old driver charged with the death of the two teenagers involved in the street racing has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter among four other charges according to reports at the San Diego Union Tribune. The news follows the earlier arrest of another 16-year-old driver that was taken into custody on similar charges. Just shortly after his arraignment, Michael Johnson, the 18-year-old driver of a Volvo S40, said, according to his attorney, that he is not the responsible party in the tragic San Diego accident fatalities that occurred April 4. Accident reports indicate that Johnson was returning from a spring break beach party in La Jolla when he was allegedly involved in a street racing contest with another teen driver – the unidentified 16-year-old driver of a Volkswagen Passat whose name has not been released since he is a minor. According to Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler, the two vehicles were zigzagging across lanes at speeds reaching up to a staggering 100 m.p.h. The 16-year-old driver in the Passat lost control over the vehicle, causing the car to flip over several times across multiple lanes of the road. Two passengers, Anthony Foreman, 18, and Jayli Campbell, 16, were thrown from the Passat and died at the scene of the accident. Two passengers survived the crash. Charlotte McQuillen, survived the accident although she suffered serious injury as a result of the collision including reports that say the teen will have to recover from traumatic brain injury. Anthoney Taylor, 16, also survived the crash although his injuries are unclear at this time. Johnson did not flee the scene of the accident according to police reports and cooperated with authorities once officers assessed the scene of the collision. The teen has no prior criminal record, although authorities say his vehicle was found containing a small amount of marijuana. Johnson is being charged with intoxicated driving, although his lawyer says there were no field sobriety tests to confirm the teen’s alleged intoxication. Teen driving: reminders for concerned parents Last week, we blogged on actions parents can take to prevent teen car accidents. Tips include:

Sign a parent-teen contract. Download your free contract now.
Enforcing the rules. Every teen driver needs to know that rules are there for a purpose, and when they are broken, consequences will follow.
Have a DUI backup plan. As most parents can attest, there are many instances when teen drivers run into problems that supersede their know-how and maturity. Drinking is one of those problems. In cases of emergency, your teen should have an open-door policy where they feel safe to call you when they need help – such in the case of drunk driving or driving while intoxicated.

About the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC The Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC are specialists in car accident injury. Every personal injury attorney in our San Diego office works hard to seek maximum recovery for every injured client. Your case is handled without any out-of-pocket costs, so do not hesitate to speak to a San Diego personal injury lawyer today for a free legal evaluation. Call us at 1-800-655-6585.