Most operators of vehicles in the United States are required to satisfy state-authorized driving lessons in order to become a licensed vehicle operator. Included in this curriculum is advise on how to control a tire-blowout. However, nowhere are we taught how to control a tire detread.
Regardless of failure mode, vehicle operators may feel an indication of impending tire failure. This warning could come through a vibration in the steering wheel, a pulling of the vehicle to one side or the other, a loud sound, or a repeated and increasing sound from the tire’s wheel-well, or a loosening of the vehicle’s vector. Under no circumstance should a driver apply his/her brakes. Instead, a driver is advised to release the gas pedal. The vehicle will slow, but probably not as quickly as the operator would like. Next, the operator is advised to steer the vehicle away from the pull. This is where knowing the difference between a blow-out and a tread/belt detachment is helpful. Also, understanding where the failing tire is located on the vehicle is instrumental in a driver’s ability to control the vehicle during the tire failure.
Blow-out
Most drivers are familiar with tire blow-outs. They have either experienced a tire blow-out as a driver or a passenger or they have benefitted from driving instruction on how to manage such a failure. A blow-out occurs when the air in the tire blows-out. This typically occurs rapidly, and the failure is immediately obvious. If a tire positioned on the front, left of a vehicle experiences a blow-out, the tire will immediately slow and pull to the left. If this occurs, a driver should not apply the vehicle brakes. Incidentally, this practice is unnecessary, because the vehicle, without air in one of its tires, will abruptly slow. In the example above, a blow-out on the front left will cause the vehicle to pull hard to the left. Braking causes the pull to the left to be much more pronounced. Instead, it is advised to take your foot off the gas, allowing the vehicle to slow and eventually come to a stop. Steering to the right will help offset the left pull and allow the driver to maintain diminished but operable control over the vehicle. Without an opposite steer, the vehicle is left to its own new forces. Steering away from the pull helps.
Tread/Belt Detachment
A tread/belt detachment is a relatively rare occurrence. Perhaps because of this rarity, vehicle and tire manufacturers almost never provide operators with advice on how to control this type of tire failure. And, no state’s driver education courses address this type of tire failure. A detread is not a blow-out. While a blow-out occurs when the air blows out of a tire, a tire detread only affects the tire’s tread. The air inside a detreading tire typically remains within the tire. While this sounds helpful, controlling a vehicle with a detreading tire is much more challenging. As a tread begins to separate from the steel belts of a tire, the tread separation, because of centrifugal force, will increase with each tire rotation. A driver might not notice a small separation, until it becomes long enough to impact the tire’s wheel-well. The separating tread will typically create a slapping sound and begin to affect the tire’s drag factor, influencing the intended path of the vehicle. Again, it is recommended that a driver refrain from applying the brakes, as braking will increase the lateral instability caused by the detreading tire. Steering away from the pull is advised, but a smaller steer maneuver than expected is recommended because a tire with no tread has greatly diminished lateral stability control. A small steer input will translate to the vehicle as something much larger, increasing the possibility of a losing control.
Watts Guerra LLP has prosecuted over a thousand tire cases, and in almost every one, the defendant manufacturer opines that the driver failed to control the detread. With no education and no experience in such a rare event, this complaint rings hallow. Typically, no matter the driver’s reaction, the vehicle will lose control. The best advice for a driver experiencing a tread/belt detachment is the release the gas pedal, steer gently opposite the pull, and hold on.
Written by:
Guy L. Watts II
Watts Guerra LLP
4 Dominion Drive, Bldg 3, Suite 100
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Phone (210) 447-0500
© Watts Guerra LLP 2015
