This summer has witnessed some scorching heat which has raised the mercury beyond 50 degrees Celsius and many vehicles, motorists said on media, have been resulting in flat tyres and blowouts.
Mohammed Abedi, businessman from Deira, was shocked to notice that three days in a row, nearly 20 cars pulled over to the side of the road to change their tires.
“Just one trip was enough for me to realize that there were at least four car owners who had to halt their cars on the road because of flat tyres,” he said.
One of the drivers who recently had to fix a tyre was an African driver, John Nzongo the occasion was on the way to a corporate order delivery.
“I was driving at 80kmph on the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road when abruptly the car jerked.”
‘Surprisingly, I came to the realization of a problem; I gripped the steering wheel firmly and proceeded to a good parking bay.’
It only ended up as a flat tyre and before he could re- proceed with his delivery, he had to spend an hour flat, changing the tyre.
Is it the heat?
Some of the items that experts identified as causes of tyre blowouts include the summer heat.
Officials have said that hot temperatures affect the internal pressure of tires in a manner that makes them over-inflated, in this case. “This pressure can compromise the tyre walls placing them at risk of blow outs,” said Mohammed lain Waseem, the automobile Company’s manager at TXN Cars Limited.
‘Tires that are over-inflated are also capable of failure since the pressure intensifies weaknesses’, he said.
Hot pavement could soften tyre rubber, Shareef said, and in turn increase the chances of puncture and general tyre damage caused by sharp objects.
“The stated cyclical states eventually decrease the tyre strength and make failures probable,” he said
High temperatures may also ‘dry out’ rubber in tyres over a long period of time which weakens the elasticity of the tyres.
“When tyres are dried, the chances of having cracks/Splits edges also increases, heat induces the oxidation of rubber of the tires which in-result shortens the life span of tyres”,
As Automobile expert at Perfect Radiator Cooling System based in Abu Dhabi explained it.
Tyre conditions and other factors
From the possibility born out of the extreme weather outside, other factors could also make cars experience blowouts, including under-inflation and old age of the tyre.
“The little air pressure in the tyre increases the rate of wearing out of the tyre hence prone to deflation in the event of high temperatures,” said Padathakayi, who actively posts safety tips concerning caravaning on social media.
Experienced professionals also noted that older tires are at a higher risk of failure in high temperatures basically because of the tire’s structure and the quality of its rubber that tends to degrade over time.
Another factor, which accelerates tyre deterioration and puts a car at risk of a flat tyre includes lack of frequent tyre inspections and rotation, said Padathakayi.
Age of tyres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi’ Tyres shall not be more than 2 years old.
”Those vehicles with tires that are more than two years will not be registered” he further said.
Safety Precautions
To mitigate the risk of tyre blowouts during the summer months, experts recommend the following measures:
• Strictly checking that all the tyres on the vehicle are properly inflated, more so during hot weather as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Seek for some kind of signals showing it has been exposed to some physical impacts like signs of wear, cracks or punctures that has to be rectified at once.
• To guarantee the tire wear is even and increase the tires’ lifespan, wheel alignment should be checked often.
• It is not advised to exceed the recommended carrying capacity of a vehicle to avoid extra stress on tyres.
• If it is extremely necessary to park the car for a long time, then one should park in shaded areas or on a cooler pavement.
• Always use good quality and reputed brands of the tyres.
• According to the various researches done, it is recommended that change of tyres should be after every 50000Km.