The Texas accident lawyers and Houston auto defect attorneys at Denena & Points keep track of vehicle and vehicle component recall and safety issues. In the six month period from September 2009 – February 2010, more than 75 vehicle manufacturers issued recalls for safety violations. These recalls included millions of vehicles. In fact, Toyota alone recently recalled more than 8.5 million cars and trucks worldwide. Given the staggeringly high numbers, it is likely that at some point in time your car, or the car of a close friend or relative, is going to have a dangerous defect.
The best way for you to protect yourself and your family is to stay as up to date as possible on recalls. You can do this by routinely checking our website. Another way is to log onto www.safercar.gov where you can check out the latest issues with cars and vehicle components. In addition, there is a ton of information on this Houston car wreck attorney website for you to research this issue for yourself. Arm yourself with information because dangerous, defective tires can seriously injure you and your family.
The summer is the most crucial time for tire safety. Heat plus long distance driving can often equal a tire failure. The most dangerous type of defective condition in a tire is tread separation. This occurs when the tread of the tire literally peels off the sidewall and body of the car. Tire manufacturers have long known that a simple and cheap fix exists to stop tread separations – nylon cap plies. This is simply a piece of nylon that is wrapped around the tire over the top of the steel belts in the tire. This does two things: stop corrosion and reduce the tendency of the edges of the steel belts to break free from the rubber. This is simple and easy for the tire manufacturers to do.
You need to do your part as well. Routinely check the tire pressure in your car and especially do this before any long trip. Keep your tires inflated to the pressure that is shown on the tire placard usually stuck to the inside door jam of your car. Do not rely on the tire pressures on the tires themselves. A tire may need an inflation level on one type of car and a different inflation level on a different car. This issue is mainly related to stability and I will discuss this in a later article. Also, never overload your vehicle and put stress on your tire. Any time you run into a curb or hit a pothole very carefully inspect your tires for damage. Look closely all around the tires for damage. If you see damage replace the tire.
Finally, be very careful about tire repair. We do not recommend that you ever repair a tire. If the tire is damaged or punctured or routinely loses air the tire needs to be replaced. Many national chains will repair tires with a plug system if the puncture is in the tread area. You should never repair a tire that is punctured on the sidewall portion of the tire. Again, be very careful with repairs as this can alter the integrity of the tire.
Tires are where the rubber meets the road – literally. Think about it, the only part of your car, truck or SUV touching the road surface is the rubber of the tires. You have to take care of those tires and make sure you purchase the right tires in the first place. Always, always try to determine whether a particular tire has a nylon cap ply and buy those tires.