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How can I safely handle a tire blowout?

On Behalf of | Feb 18, 2020 | Injuries |

Some accidents occur due to issues with your vehicle. For example, if your tire blows out while you are driving down a highway, it poses a huge risk that could make you lose control. This not only puts you at risk but also anyone else on the roadway. That is why it is important to always do safety checks on your vehicle regularly, especially checking your tires for wear or other issues. However, sometimes you may not notice a problem, so if you do end up in a situation where you have a tire blowout, then you need to know how to handle it and avoid an accident.

Firestone explains that the loud sound of a tire blowout may scare you the most when it happens, but the sudden pulling to one side will really get your attention. It is natural to panic a little when you lose control of your vehicle, but in this situation, it is essential to stay calm. You need to be able to focus to get yourself off the road safely.

Another common urge is to hit the brakes. You do not want to do this. It will cause you to lose complete control and send your vehicle across the roadway.

Since the blowout will decelerate your vehicle very suddenly, you can gain control by slightly accelerating. Slowly press on the gas to bring your speed up a little and allow you to regain control. Once you feel like you have control again, let off the gas,  and let your vehicle naturally slow down.

You also want to firmly grasp your steering wheel and keep your wheels straight. You will be fighting against the vehicle pulling to whatever side the tire is on. Do not try to combat the pulling by turning the wheel, just keep it straight.

You may start to apply the brakes when you get below 30 MPH. Be gentle when you start to brake. Once you get to about 20 MPH, you can then start to turn your wheel and get your vehicle safely off the road.

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