What should you do when a tire blowout happens?
- What is a tire blowout?
- Steps in dealing with a tire blowout
- Don’t brake. Accelerate
- Steer your truck properly with both hands
- Find a suitable place to stop
Tire blowouts are something that all truck drivers dread, no matter what kind of truck they are driving. The reality is that even trucks from established brands such as Foton in the Philippines are not exempt from this of problem. For most truck drivers, tire blowouts will almost always cause them to lose control over their truck.
If you ask many truck dealerships, they’ll probably tell you that tire blowouts are quite rare. While these common truck problems can be mostly avoided through regular maintenance, it’s still important to take note of how truck blowouts happen and what you should do in case it happens to you.
Every truck driver will do whatever it takes to keep their truck, their cargo, and ultimately, themselves, safe during their journey. Being safe means ensuring that the truck is in good condition, safety procedures are enacted, and protocols for unforeseen events are kept in mind!
When dealing with a tire blowout, you must have a good understanding of what it is and what you should do when it suddenly happens! This information is detailed in this article!
What is a tire blowout?
Tire blowouts are typically situations wherein a tire bursts due to damage or wear and tear and quickly loses its air pressure. Potentially, this can lead to the loss of control of the vehicle when not handled correctly.
A common misconception about tire blowouts is that it happens because there is too much pressure inside them and an area of weakness finally succumbs to damage. In reality, it is more common for tire blowouts to happen by tires not having enough air pressure. Low air pressure leads to tires flexing in unnecessary ways that exceed their design. These irregularities cause the structure of the tire to break, ultimately dislodging the rubber free from the steel cord that reinforces it.
An important thing to take note, though, is that while tire blowouts may lead to the loss of control of one tire, it doesn’t mean that you will lose control of the whole vehicle. Tire blowouts can go as far as destabilizing the truck, but when an experienced driver knows what to do, stabilizing will be easy and virtually no loss of control will happen.
Steps in Dealing with a Tire Blowout
Although relatively uncommon, every truck driver should know how to deal with a tire blowout. This is different from a blowout of smaller vehicles because it’s definitely harder to control a truck, particularly ones that pull heavy trailers behind them!
Keep in mind, however, that this is only a guide, and in no way is this the ultimate solution to tire blowouts. Treat this as the general procedure to take before letting the mechanics handle the replacement of the tire.
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Don’t Brake. Accelerate!
For most drivers, hitting the brakes is pretty much the go-to reaction most emergencies on the road. This is because slowing down and stopping the vehicle immediately gives you time to assess the situation and avoid further accidents. When it comes to a truck tire blowout, however, this is the worst thing that you can do. Stepping on the brake essentially means losing control of the truck—and that’s something that you want to avoid in this situation.
A blown-out tire will create a side pull depending on where it is. This means that you will force that’s pulling your truck to the right when your right tire is the one that got blown out and vice-versa.
The ideal thing for you to do is to step on the gas. Speed your truck up a bit, just enough for you to regain control.
While accelerating, you should be quick in diagnosing the problem. Quickly stabilize the truck before any significant damage happens.
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Steer Your Truck Properly with Both Hands
In these situations, it’s very important that you have a good grip on your steering wheel. Properly holding the steering wheel will greatly help in regaining control of your truck. Take note, when a tire blowout happens, you would probably experience a great deal of shaking in the cab. If you’re haphazardly holding onto the steering wheel, you might lose your grip and give-up control altogether.
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Find a Suitable Place to Stop
Although there are some accounts wherein truck drivers were able to regain control and drive their way to their destinations, it’s still highly suggested that you find an area where you can park your truck in order for you to check out and potentially replace the blown out tire.
Remember, your safety as the driver is always the top priority in your deliveries. If you think that you can no longer control the truck, then stopping is the best thing for you to do.
You have to be careful, though, because the slower you go, the more control you give away. So make sure that you have enough distance and time to stop the truck!
Key Takeaway
Trucks from brands such as Foton Philippines might be a good choice, but they’re all only as good as their drivers. Even if you have a regular truck for sale in the Philippines, as long as the driver is experienced, it’ll work efficiently.
Regardless of the truck, however, accidents always have the chance of occurring. The only thing that you can do is hope for the best and prepare for the worse—in this case, for tire blowouts.
Follow the steps provided above when it happens to make sure that you stay safe on the road!
