Defective or Poorly Maintained Tires Can Lead to New York Car Accidents

We all know that insufficient air pressure not only reduces a car’s fuel economy, but also places the driver at risk for blowouts. According to the Transportation Department, more than a quarter of all cars on New York roadways have at least one tire that is seriously low on air. This fact—along with defective manufacturing—can cause severe New York car accidents.

See also reckless driving by youths lead to car accidents.

Tragic Car Accident New York

A blowout of the tire, or rapid pressure decrease in the remaining core, is often associated with a loss of tire tread, which can drastically increase a vehicle's chance to roll over and cause a serious and often fatal New York car accident.

Take the recent example in Woodbury, NY, where a van carrying members of a church flipped over on the New York State thruway killing at least six people and injuring eight others.

Sometimes it’s harder to control when the tire merely blows out and does not leave the rim. In variably, when a tire does blow out it causes some slewing and skidding. To best handle the situation and not cause a New York car accident is to quickly determine whether it is the front or rear tire that has gone flat. If the front tire bursts, you have a better chance of controlling the car. If the rear tire is causing the trouble, you have a greater chance of losing control and creating a New York car accident. One race car driver suggests the following

  • With a flat front tire, use your brake decisively.
  • With a rear flat tire the situation is more dangerous because any two cars won’t act the same. Careful manipulation is needed by easing up on the power gradually.

When the rear tire suffers the blowout, controlling the vehicle becomes very difficult. Loss of control results in the rear of the vehicle swinging around to become perpendicular to the direction of travel (yawing). If the yawing is not immediately reversed in direction, then the sideways motion often leads to the bead of the tire separating from the rim, allowing the rim to dig into the pavement or surface of the road. As the rim digs into the pavement, it can propel the vehicle into a roll and subsequently a New York car accident.

  • Rollovers can occur if the vehicle comes into contact with grass, dirt or other drastic surface changes while in sideways motion.
  • ‘Tripping’ of the vehicle occurs when there is enough sideways movement while the vehicle moves into a grass or dirt median from normal pavement.

Another Cause of New York Car Accidents is Tire Tread and Belt Separation

Tire manufacturers know that tread separation can cause New York car accidents due to the design and placement of the belts and overlying tread. Tread and belt separations can also occur from poor adhesion of the tire components. Poor adhesion results from the use of old and expired adhesives, improper temperatures and unclean manufacturing facilities used in the manufacturing process—or contaminants introduced during manufacturing.

The manufacturers’ know the leading cause of belt separation—another defect that can contribute blowouts and car accidents  in New York, is failure of the metal tire components to stick to the rubber. The method most often used to bond these elements in manufacturing involves plating the metal with brass then applying a rubber compound containing sulfur. If the sulfur and other compounds are not to the correct mixture, then incomplete adhesion occurs. If the brass plating is allowed to oxidize, poor adhesion will likely occur. If there is a shiny brass look to the belts, then most likely there was a deficiency in the tread bonding process.

Seeger Weiss understands the role tires can play in the safety of New York's roads and preventing New York car accidents. Manufacturers have a responsibility in the manufacture of the tire and vehicle owners have the responsibility to ensure good tire pressure for driving. If you or a loved one has suffered a tragic car accident New York, we can help you determine proper liability. Fill out this form for FREE evaluation.

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