A lot has been written and studied about the different causes of vehicle accidents. Some of the more common causes that are discussed include distracted, drunk, or fatigued driving. And while those factors are responsible for the majority of crashes, there is another dangerous cause that drivers have complete control over and that is vehicle maintenance. Far too often, a crash happens because the driver or owner of the vehicle failed to ensure all parts of the vehicle were in good working order. One of the most frequent parts that fall into this category is tires.
Bad Tires
According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation, there are more than 11,000 tire-related crashes every year. More than 700 victims of those crashes die. Blowouts are the number one cause of those deaths.
The most common time of year for tire blowouts is between May and October, when temperatures are warmer and more people are on the roads, particularly during the summer months when people are traveling on vacations in heavily loaded vehicles. This combination of factors can cause a neglected tire to blow.
But blowouts also happen during other times of the year, often because the tires are underinflated. If a tire does not have the correct air pressure, then the internal parts of the tire begin to flex beyond what they are designed for. This causes these components to weaken and over flex, and eventually, they fail.
Other factors that can cause a tire to blow include hauling oversized loads that the vehicle – and tires – is not designed for. This is one of the dangerous causes of a lot of truck accident blowouts because there are too many tractor-trailers transporting overweight loads. Hitting a pothole can also cause a tire to blow and the vehicle to crash.
One of the most obvious causes of negligence in tire blowout accidents is when the tires on the vehicle have little to no tread left on them. In addition to risky blowouts, there is also the high risk of the vehicle crashing when roads are wet or slippery because the tires have no tread to grip the road with.
Let a Virginia Beach Auto Accident Injury Attorney Help
If you have been injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of another driver, contact a Virginia car accident attorney to find out what legal options you may have.
Here at Shapiro & Appleton, we have been advocating for injured clients since 1985 and will do all we can to ensure you receive the best possible outcome under the circumstances of your case. If you would like to meet with one of our skilled Virginia car accident attorneys to find out how we can help, call us today at (833) 997-1774 for a free case evaluation.