Things to know: Running on Flat Tires

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Flat Tires

Driving even though you have flat tires could be one of the most unsafe things to do if you own and drive a vehicle. A tire could get flat for various reasons, such as getting punctured, overheated, inflated incorrectly, or also due to a valve stem leakage. But the common safety manual says that drivers are supposed to avoid running on flat tires no matter the situation. 

A flat tire could easily create an imbalance that would result in an accident. The best way to avoid running on flat tires is to avoid getting a flat tire. But such situations cannot be completely avoided.

If you wish to avoid the various causes of a flat tire, then read the following tips that can guide you properly:

  • The prime cause of a flat tire is coming into contact with sharp objects on the road. Although there is no sure way of avoiding this, you can stay away from debris by driving on-road at all times. Ensuring that you stay away from garbage zones and parking lots will save you from a flat tire. Constant wear and tear is a common reason for flat tires. 
  • As we keep using the same pair of tires for several years at a stretch, it is quite normal to suffer from a flat in the end. One cannot avoid this, but we can try to minimize the wear and tear by getting the tires rotated, serviced, and maintained every once in a while. 
  • Since overheating can be dangerous for tires, making sure that the pressure inside the tires is at an optimum level is crucial. Keeping a record of tire pressure provides us with an accurate measure to know when a tire could be flat, especially in the summertime. While it is important to maintain your tire pressure, avoiding letting it reach a certain level in the summer heat can save you from getting a flat tire.
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But what if, despite your best efforts, you get flat tires in the end due to any of the reasons mentioned above? The best course of action would be to stop the vehicle, exit it, and call for a mechanic. However, if you are not in a position to do any of these things, a popular solution called run flat tires can easily save you from a world of inconvenience.

What Are Run Flat Tires?

A run flat tire is exactly what you need when you are running on a flat tire. These tires made their debut long ago in the 1980s but are just as popular these days. While more consumers want run flat tires for their vehicles, manufacturers are including them as a standard in new vehicles. The reason why they are named so is due to the fact that they allow a driver to continue driving despite suffering from a flat tire.

The advantage of a run flat tire and its influence on driving makes running on flat tires easy and safe. Though you cannot drive on a deflated tire, run flat tires provide just enough mobility to get your car to an auto shop or a location where you can easily change your tire. For this reason, consumers want to buy run flat tires for those challenging circumstances.

How Does Running on Flat Tires Work?

Run flat tires follow two types of systems that give them a self-supporting ability based on which they can be driven for a specific period even if the tires get flat. Let’s take a look at the two systems in the following:

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Self-Supporting:

A self-supporting system has a durable sidewall that, in the event of air loss, supports the entire vehicle. This sidewall is capable of operating even after the air pressure inside a tire goes below the average levels specified by the manufacturers.

Supporting Ring:

A supporting ring is another type of system used in a run flat tire. It features a ring made of a hard kind of rubber, as the name suggests. This particular structure (in a ring formation) is used to support the vehicle’s total weight when it loses air after suffering from a flat tire. A supporting ring thus saves you from a lot of hassles.

Both of the aforementioned systems allow a good quality tire to keep running in a flat condition, so they require a tire pressure monitoring system. Such a system is used to receive alerts in the case of any air loss. Losing air pressure remains one of the most obvious indicators of getting a flat tire. Hence, a tire pressure monitoring system is needed to know when something goes wrong abruptly.

Conclusion:

Running on flat tires sounds dangerous, but if your vehicle is supported by popular run flat tires made specifically to work in such a situation, then you have nothing to worry about.