Tires failure on a vehicle can be almost as dangerous as an actual mechanical failure. There is nothing like the frightening feeling of trying to control a fast moving vehicle when a tire has popped or de-treaded. Tires that are manufactured with a flaw are far more likely to have problems like tread separation or early wear, tear and tire fatigue.
Tread failure typically begins with tiny cracks in the rubber on the side of the tire. These cracks eventually get larger and as the cracks develop, rather than creating a flat tire, the create a separation between the tire treads and belts of the tire which causes tread failure in tires that should still be maintaining their shape and durability.
Tire tread separation is sometimes combined with a loss of air pressure, but whether or not air pressure is a contributing factor, a tire tread separation makes it almost impossible to control a vehicle. Additionally, in some cases, this kind of tire problem can create rollovers in some SUVs. If the blowout or tire separation occurs in the rear tire and at a high rate of speed the results can be catastrophic. When tread separation occurs, drivers often hear a strange, loud thumping noise and then the vehicle goes out of control.
The most well known tire tread separation problems occurred with the Firestone tires used on Ford Explorers. It was discovered that Firestone’s tires had inferior belt wedge thickness and poor shoulder design which led to inadequate belt adhesion in the tires. The rubber used was also tested and found to be inferior.
In a well made tire, the walls of the tires and its stability should extend long beyond its treads. In some tires however, design defects and production problems lead to tires breaking down prematurely and when the tires fail, they can cause serious traffic accidents and put the driver and passengers in the car serious injury. Part of the issue is that this kind of tire failure can happen so quickly that even experienced and cool-headed drivers may not be able to control the vehicle, or the results.
Another factor in tire failure is tire age. In any rubber product, with time and wear and tear, the rubber will begin to deteriorate. With time, any adhesion will degrade. Ultimately, the internal structure will also fail and this can lead to tread separation as well. Generally, any tire that six years old or more is typically unsafe. Historically, the federal government has only managed the short term stability and efficiency of tires. In 2002 the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed a new test for tire aging that manufacturers are now required to use.
If you have been injured by a tire failure or tire defect, you should contact a product liability attorney or a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Product liability claims often have statutes of limitations and you don’t want your lawsuit to be affected by this type of situation.