The Importance Of Tires In Car Crashes
Georgia Car Accident Attorneys Understand The Importance Of Tires In Car Crashes
Tires are more than four points that touch the road. They grip the road so that you can control your vehicle. If tires are in good repair, they will make your vehicle safer, more efficient, and save you money by increasing gas mileage. Tires that are not properly inflated or in bad condition can cause a car to lose control and crash. Our experienced Georgia car accident lawyers understand the significant role tire wear plays in car crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 11,000 collisions each year are attributable to failing tires. Among those crashes, 719 in 2015 were fatal. Additionally, over 19,000 people were injured in car wrecks as a result of tire malfunction. Those numbers seem insignificant considering that drivers logged almost three trillion miles behind the wheel in the United States in 2015. However, the sad part is most of those crashes attributable to tires were avoidable with some preventative maintenance.
The NHTSA recommends five separate safety tips vehicle owners should follow to decrease their chances of being involved in a crash caused by tire failure. The most important maintenance tip is to check the pressure in all four tires and your spare if you have one. You should test the air when the car has not been running for at least three hours. That gives your tires time to cool off and resume their real pressure. Checking them after driving will give you an inaccurate reading that is higher than the actual air pressure. The correct air pressure for the tires might be listed on the outer wall of the tire. If not, it will be on the door jamb, especially in newer vehicles. However, the NHTSA offers a word of caution about more modern cars. Many newer cars are equipped with a tire pressure monitor, which is very convenient but can be misleading. The monitors typically signal low tire pressure only when the pressure is very low. Loss of tire pressure can become a problem well before the light is programmed to illuminate.
Checking the tire tread is extremely important. The NHTSA recommends checking the treads monthly when you test the tire pressure. Tires must be replaced when the tread level drops to or below 2/32 of an inch. Anything lower than that width and you are driving on bald tire,s which are very dangerous even in good weather. In fact, driving in inclement weather would be impossible. Vehicle owners must regularly have their alignment examined and wheels balanced. Performing this routine maintenance will add life to your tires, and they will wear in a regular pattern on the treads rather than on the sides. Wear on the sides of the tire can compromise the tire wall and result in a blowout.
Blowouts are dangerous events that can happen without warning. That is why it is important to know what to do before you encounter a one. There is generally no difference in what action you should take if the blowout is in the rear or the front, other than keeping in mind that the front tire blowout will affect the steering in most cars. The NHTSA cautions drivers to slowly take your foot off of the accelerator and steer the car with two hands to a safe location. The key is not to panic. Do not engage in panic steering and do not slam the brakes because doing so will cause you to lose control. Although a driver may be caught by surprise if a blowout occurs, he or she remains responsible for keeping their vehicle under control and stopping in a safe location. Similarly, the owner of a car is responsible for properly maintaining his or her vehicle. Failing to do so can lead to civil liability if someone gets hurt.
Put Our Law Firm's Over 39 Years Of Legal Experience To Work For Your Case!
If you have been injured in any type of accident caused by someone else's negligence, contact Montlick & Associates today for your free consultation. Montlick & Associates has been representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and in the Southeast for over 39 years, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. Our traffic accident lawyers in Atlanta, Georgia have been representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast for over 39 years.
No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.
Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law
17 Executive Park Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
Telephone: 1 (800) LAW-NEED
Telephone: 1 (404) 529-6333
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