Tyre blowouts

[toasty]

Following the tragic Diogo Jota accident (RIP), I’m wondering how commonplace tyre blowouts are, especially on performance cars.

I can’t say I’ve ever experienced one and don’t recall knowing anyone that has.

I can picture it happening if doing a rolling burnout but in everyday driving?

Apologies if this seems in poor taste but I’m thinking of a wider picture. I’d imagine they are incredibly rare.

[Pando99]

Thats funny we were all sitting here saying the same thing - but also how common these supercar accident always end up in flames

Coincidence or what ?

[CountyLines]

Pando99 said:

Thats funny we were all sitting here saying the same thing - but also how common these supercar accident always end up in flames

Coincidence or what ?

Whats the coincidence you're alluding to?

[Pando99]

tyre blow outs and fires in supercars

[Earthdweller]

I had one. 30 or so years ago, in a Police car on the RNS and although travelling pretty quickly it was on an empty motorway and was recoverable

Was a brown trouser moment but ended all ok

Generally though I don't think it's common at all

[CountyLines]

Pando99 said:

tyre blow outs and fires in supercars

Cant remember the last time I heard of a supercar catching fire because of a tyre.

[Panamax]

I think blowouts are very rare. The carcass of the tyre is incredibly strong unless it's been driven when flat, which is one of the reasons "official" puncture repairs are always done from the inside. I don't know whether the Lambo was a sports car or the big SUV and what tyres would have been on it. No doubt all will become clear over time. The Event Data Recorder (associated with the air bag system) should hold relevant information such as speed, braking and steering inputs etc if the equipment has survived.

Another question is inflation pressure although with TPMS that shouldn't be a factor.

A very sad incident.

[BrettMRC]

It's possible a blowout can be caused by something on the road rather than a load based failure.

[aeropilot]

CountyLines said:

Pando99 said:

tyre blow outs and fires in supercars

Cant remember the last time I heard of a supercar catching fire because of a tyre.

Looking at the photo's of the scene, and the tyre marks into the barrier where the burnt grass is, I'd say the fire was due to the rather large impact into the barrier and fuel or fuel tank rupture and ignition of that from a hot source.

Did they ignore or not spot TPMS warning, as with ultra low profile tyres, you really don't immediately notice a deflating tyre without TPMS until the tyre starts shredding.

[Fred Smith]

I might as well ask here... out of interest really, as the wheels are not on the car any more... if you owned a somewhat sporty two seater, and there was a 4 inch long gas in the sidewall of one of the rear tyes, quite wide and deep, but that passed an MOT due to not being down to the cords... how long would you drive on it before changing?

ASAP?
Fairly soon, before any big journeys?
They're legal, keep driving them?

[Muddle238]

Fred Smith said:

I might as well ask here... out of interest really, as the wheels are not on the car any more... if you owned a somewhat sporty two seater, and there was a 4 inch long gas in the sidewall of one of the rear tyes, quite wide and deep, but that passed an MOT due to not being down to the cords... how long would you drive on it before changing?

ASAP?
Fairly soon, before any big journeys?
They're legal, keep driving them?

If it were me, the next journey would be straight to the local tyre place. I don't tend to piss about with tyres, personally. They're safety critical bits of equipment.

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Years ago, an HGV's tyre blew up just I was passing it. Scared the st out of me, thankfully the driver didn't lose control.

[aeropilot]

Muddle238 said:

Fred Smith said:

I might as well ask here... out of interest really, as the wheels are not on the car any more... if you owned a somewhat sporty two seater, and there was a 4 inch long gas in the sidewall of one of the rear tyes, quite wide and deep, but that passed an MOT due to not being down to the cords... how long would you drive on it before changing?

ASAP?
Fairly soon, before any big journeys?
They're legal, keep driving them?

If it were me, the next journey would be straight to the local tyre place. I don't tend to piss about with tyres, personally.

Likewise.

[Pebbles167]

I had a blowout a few months back, first one ever.

50mph, clear road, no visible debris.

No idea what caused this kind of damage!



Anecdotally from my own experiences and those of people I know, a blowout seems very rare.

[Freakuk]

Earthdweller said:

I had one. 30 or so years ago, in a Police car on the RNS and although travelling pretty quickly it was on an empty motorway and was recoverable

Was a brown trouser moment but ended all ok

Generally though I don't think it's common at all

Likewise, had one late 90's on the M6 just as I was going over the top of Thelwall viaduct.

A few miles earlier I was on a country lane and flying along and the rear of the car stepped out a little, didn't think much of it but probably 10 miles later the rear let ago just at the top, or just as I got over the top of the viaduct, I guess luckily it was the rear. I was getting off at the next junction so was already in the inside lane.

I just gradually reduced my speed rather than foot off the gas to kind of maintain direction and moved to the hard shoulder and brought the car to a stop.

[SS427 Camaro]

Fred Smith said:

I might as well ask here... out of interest really, as the wheels are not on the car any more... if you owned a somewhat sporty two seater, and there was a 4 inch long gas in the sidewall of one of the rear tyes, quite wide and deep, but that passed an MOT due to not being down to the cords... how long would you drive on it before changing?

ASAP?
Fairly soon, before any big journeys?
They're legal, keep driving them?

I knew someone who asked me to check the tire pressures on their tank of a Jag SUV. I was absolutely horrified to see that the rears were very worn “ Acceleras “ with cracks and that the fronts were another obscure worn Ditch Finder …….
As for the Lamborghini, how will anyone establish exactly what happened as there is nothing left of it. If I owned one, I would be getting rid Pronto.

[daqinggregg]

Not had one personally, but witnessed two.

First, on a motorway in the UK, 3 lanes reducing to 2, oldish Mercedes coupe barrelling down the outside lane, women and couple young kids on board; sudden bang, sliding about, HGV’s on one side, central reservation on the other.

How she didn’t hit either is beyond me, I’m guessing it wasn’t her first rodeo in car that had lost traction (maybe involved in motor sport). As I drove past, she had the look of someone who’d probably soiled themselves, I’m guessing she had.

Second, on the main highway in Taiwan, micro Luton came steaming up the inside, smoke pouring off the rear tyres, driver and two passengers, clearly on a mission to get somewhere.



I tried my best to stop them, have you ever tried stopping someone, who doesn’t want to be stopped. Suddenly the van flipped on its side, and three people and detritus, were ejected through the windscreen.

Strange how someone’s day, could suddenly change.

[uktrailmonster]

I’ve only ever had one sudden tyre blowout. It was a new car, less than 5k miles on the clock. Car was a BMW 330Ci. A rear just blew suddenly on the motorway. I was probably doing 80 ish mph. Didn’t lose control fortunately and managed to stop on the hard shoulder.

So 1 in 40 years.

[Skodillac]

aeropilot said:

CountyLines said:

Pando99 said:

tyre blow outs and fires in supercars

Cant remember the last time I heard of a supercar catching fire because of a tyre.

Looking at the photo's of the scene, and the tyre marks into the barrier where the burnt grass is, I'd say the fire was due to the rather large impact into the barrier and fuel or fuel tank rupture and ignition of that from a hot source.

Did they ignore or not spot TPMS warning, as with ultra low profile tyres, you really don't immediately notice a deflating tyre without TPMS until the tyre starts shredding.

I don't see any damage to the barrier - doesn't look like the vehicle hit it? Could it look that undamaged if it had been hit?

What has surprised me is that this looks like an ordinary, innocuous stretch of motorway. I had imagined they were blasting up a mountain road or something, over cooked it, hit a sharp rock and bang.

Poor lads, what an awful way to go.

EDIT: sorry, I've spotted the damaged barrier on the video now. Should have gone to Specsavers.

[John D.]

I've never had it happen. Nor have I ever had to change a flat tyre (slow flats is all I've ever suffered).

My partner had a blow out a few years ago on the motorway. She is in the habit of ignoring tyre pressure warnings. I wonder if the two are linked.