The Dangers of Driving with Deflated Tires on Muncie Roads

A few months ago, Muncie saw drastic improvements to Jackson, Wheeling, and Walnut Streets with potholes filled and roads repaired. This was a good sign going into the colder months of the year; the roads would be safer and less of a danger to Muncie vehicles. However, a more silent winter stressor continued to plague Muncie cars: deflated or under-inflated tires.

Muncie’s Star Press reported in January that more and more young adults and young drivers were better at naming various texting emojis than their vehicle’s warning lights across the dashboard. In fact, in a survey conducted by Goodyear Auto Service and Just Tires, young drivers between the Millennial and Generation Z age were 1.5 more times likely to identify an emoji than the tire pressure warning light. Why is this alarming? Other than young drivers not being able to take care of their cars or know when car maintenance is needed, avoiding the tire pressure warning can lead to significantly under-inflated tires, punctures in tires, air leakage, and a possible Muncie car accident because of poor handling.

The Importance for Checking Your Tire Pressure

In 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 738 people died while on the road because of a tire-related crash. The maintenance and safety of your tires is not something to take lightly. For the most part, the majority of your tire maintenance can be handled by yourself: checking the tire pressure each month to make sure it is within the proper pounds-per-square-inch (psi) level. If you do not know how to quickly check your tire pressure, follow these basic steps:

• Take off the tire’s valve cap.
• Place the air gauge over the valve stem and press firmly. Common air gauges will release two puffs of air for the user to know it is firmly on and has a measurement.
• Inflate or deflate your tires for the correct amount of pressure. If you are unsure about how much psi is needed, there is usually a label on the inside of the driver’s door with the appropriate level indicated.
• Put the valve cap back on.
• Repeat. Even though it might be a little more troublesome to get to your spare tire, make sure to check its tire pressure as well.

Checking the tire pressure of your vehicle is a good habit to maintain every month. If you are diligent in checking your tires and keeping up with your vehicle maintenance, then you can positively contribute to decreasing flat tires, blowouts, worn tread, and Muncie car accidents throughout the year.

Hire a Muncie Car Accident Attorney

If you find yourself in a Muncie car accident where the cause was another driver’s tire neglect, call the attorneys at Hensley Legal Group for a free consultation, or contact us online today.