Truck Tire Safety
How to Ensure Truck Tire Safety
Due to the dangers inherent in tread separation, truck tire safety is extremely important, and it is a responsibility that involves the tires' maker, maintenance professionals and the tires' owner. Truck tire safety involves special considerations that differ from the safety considerations applicable to passenger car tires. For example, truck tire safety must take into account the vehicle's overall strength, center of gravity, load carrying capacity and driveline complexity. In addition to these considerations, other factors must be weighed. These include:
- Choosing the right size and type of tires for the vehicle
- Choosing the right tires for the vehicle's rims so that there is no rupture of parts while the vehicle is being operated
- What are the vehicle's road limits?
- What will the vehicle be used for?
Inspecting Your Tires
Truck tire safety involves periodic inspections of your tires to check for proper tire pressure, checking tires for tread-wear, avoiding road hazards and inspecting tires for any cuts, slashes or other aberrations. These steps not only increase truck tire safety by helping you avoid tread separation and tire blowout, but they also improve vehicle handling and fuel economy, and they will extend the life of your tires.
Keeping an Eye on Tread-Wear
In addition to checking air pressure, it is important to evaluate tread-wear. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that fifty percent of all trucks, vans and SUVs have at least one half-worn tire at any given time. At least 10% have a bald tire. Tire tread-wear is measured in 1/32-inch increments, and a new tire measures 10/32 of an inch. According to truck tire safety, 2/32 of an inch of wear is considered bald. Many tires have horizontal bars that make it easy to gauge tire tread-wear. Experts say that 2/32 inches of wear may be too much for trucks that drive in the rain or snow, and tires may need to be replaced at 5/32 of an inch.
Uneven tread-wear may also compromise truck tire safety and can result from worn shocks, under-inflation, misalignment and tires that need to be rotated. When tire tread-wear it too great, vehicles are more likely to experience tire blowout, hydroplane, and other dangerous events. Trucks, especially SUVs, have a greater propensity to rollover in these situations, posing a great risk of injury and damage to those involved in these accidents.
A major component of truck tire safety is a high-quality and reliable product. In the past, tire companies produced defective tires on a large scale for use on trucks and SUVs, and some tire-related accidents were the result of these defective tires.
If you are concerned about truck tire safety, you may wish to speak with a knowledgeable attorney who can evaluate your case to determine your legal rights and options. Contact us at (888) 803-7598 for more information.
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