Tyre Puncture 101: Helpful Information Every Driver Should Know
October 19, 2015

You’re driving on your way to catch an appointment when suddenly, you notice your car pulling to one side, making it difficult to steer. In your hurry, you try to ignore it and continue driving, but it becomes too bothersome. So you get out of the car to check and discover a puncture on one of your 4×4 tyres. Big problem.

Punctures are very common types of car trouble and they can be mild or severe depending, on which area is punctured. This problem can be caused by a number of factors and can manifest in different ways. Read on to learn more about tyre punctures.

How do nails cause flat tyres?

When it comes to tyre punctures, nails are the top culprits. But how do they cause such damage? How could a piece of metal lying flat on the ground puncture tyres?

It turns out, the nail’s head may cause it to shift its position or bounce when run over. In many cases, nails are bent, which puts them in a perfect position to puncture anything that comes in contact with them. The car in front of you could fling them up, making you the puncture victim. If there are no other vehicles in front, your front tyres could kick the nail up which can then puncture your rear tyres. This is why a large percentage of punctures happen to the rear tyres.

Other common causes of punctures:

Apart from nails, there are several other objects that can give you trouble. These include:

• Screws/bolts. Just like nails, screws and bolts could also end up being on the road for some reason and they could be anywhere.
• Sharp rocks. It is likely that you’ll come across sharp rocks when driving off road. Make sure to use tyres that can withstand harsh terrains and off road conditions.
• Broken glass. Shards can be found in construction areas which should be avoided as much as possible.
• Construction debris. This may come in various forms such as metal sheets, steel components or pieces of wood. All these have the potential to puncture and damage tyres to a certain degree.

Signs of a puncture:

You may not notice it at first, but there are certain ways to tell if your tyres have been punctured or not. Here are some of them:

• When the wheel shudders or when you feel wobbly when driving the car
• If you find it difficult to steer the car (usually the result of slow puncture where the tyre slowly deflates)
• If the car steers to the left or right as if being pulled towards that direction (medium tyre deflation)
• If the car suddenly swerves to the left or right (happens during a blowout, when the tyre suddenly bursts due to severe puncture or damage)

What to do when you discover a puncture:

A good driver should always be prepared for anything that might happen on the road. You should always have a spare tyre so you can change the punctured one and be back on the road immediately. However, the punctured tyre must be repaired or replaced especially if your spare is a space saver, which has certain limitations, otherwise you could be stranded on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck.

If you don’t have a spare or if the tyre is badly damaged, don’t drive any further, as you’ll only make things worse. It is best that you call for a tyre service to have it repaired or replaced. The kind of repair needed largely depends on the kind or severity of the damage.

When in need of new tyres, you can find the finest quality from Road Runner Mobile Tyres. We proudly bring you premium products from the world’s trusted brands including Continental, Kumho, Good Year, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Michelin and Pirelli tyres. Our team also provides services 7 days a week. Whether you need repairs, replacement or fitting, we’ll be glad to assist. Call us up today!