Tread Carefully – NHTSA Says Fatal Big Rig Tire Blowouts Are on the Rise

We’ve shown you before why big rigs are dangerous, but a recent study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highlights an unexpected danger. The study focused on Michelin tires, and found that a lack of maintenance coupled with high speeds resulted in blowouts that caused fatal accidents.

CBS News said, “According to the NHTSA, no truck tire is rated in excess of 81mph and most are rated at 75 mph, but 16 states have trucks speeds equal to or greater than 75 miles per hour; four even go beyond that, to 80mph.” At high speeds, retread tires are more likely to fail. This type of blowout directly caused 223 deaths between 2009 and 2013.

Higher speed limits put everyone at risk

Dave Osiecki, executive vice president of the American Trucking Association, wants the federal government to regulate speed with electronic limiters, capped at 65mph. At the moment, 70 percent of companies use limiters, but the remainder still represents a significant amount of trucks on the road.

Osiecki said, “Sixty-five mph versus 75mph operating speed- the stopping distance is significantly different. So it’s a win, win, win, if we in the industry control the speed of our trucks and we get the help of our government.”

Trucks drive across the country on a daily basis, so the risk of blowouts from high-speed wear isn’t limited to just those states with higher speed limits. After high speeds begin to separate retreaded tires, the blowout can happen immediately or five states away.

Exploding big rig tires are more dangerous than you think. Robert Allen, a truck driver with over 14 years of experience, said in a blog post, “I have had no doubt that in some circumstances that a tire blowout from a big rig could kill someone… There has been [sic] a few times that a trailer tire blow up has bent the metal mud flap bar far enough that I have had to have a blow torch heat the metal to be able to bend it back in place.”

A blowout represents a tremendous amount of force, and at highway speeds shredded tires become ballistic shrapnel. An episode of MythBusters tested this scenario and found that shrapnel from a big rig tire blowout had enough force to literally decapitate a human being.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; when you’re on the road with big trucks, it’s best to give them wide berth. Try to not to get stuck on the side of a big rig in traffic, and make sure that you can see the driver in his or her mirrors. Unfortunately, even the most cautious drivers can be the victims of circumstance. When accidents happen, it’s important to have knowledge and experience on your side. If you or someone you know has been involved in a commercial truck collision please contact McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC for a free consultation with a skilled South Carolina truck accident attorney.