California Injury Lawyers Urge Tire Care During Tire Safety Week

This week is being marked as Tire Safety Week across the country. Los Angeles Car Accident lawyers often notice that tire safety is not given the kind of importance that it deserves. This is in spite of the fact that inadequate tread and poor tire maintenance leads to tire blowouts, which are frequent contributing factors in rollover accidents. Rollover crashes are some of the most devastating accidents, contributing to the deaths of more than 8,000 people every year.

Most rollover accidents can be traced to inadequate tread and tire blowouts. During Tire Safety Week, it's important to help consumers understand the importance of keeping your tires in optimal condition. Keep one thing in mind - the tire is the only component of your car that is frequently in contact with road surfaces. Therefore, these must be kept in prime condition.

* Take time to check tire pressure at least every month. This is especially important before you set off on a long journey. Poor tire pressure can mean loss of control over the car.
* Look for cracks and bulges. Check the grooves of the tire, and look for objects that may have become stuck, like pebbles.
* Check your tread depth frequently. Worn out tires are more susceptible to hydroplaning. Make sure that you replace tires before the grooves are worn out.
* Make sure that you follow vehicle specifications about loading, and never overload the vehicle.
* Rotate tires after at least every 5,000 miles.
* Purchase tires only from reputed manufacturers.
* There are other tire problems that you have to look out for. These include mismatched tires that can adversely impact your ability to handle your car, and lead to accidents. Misplaced tires and used tires can also affect your ability to control your vehicle, contributing to accidents.
* Frequently checking tread, keeping tires properly inflated, and frequently rotating your tires can increase the lifespan of your tires and keep you safe.

Considering how important tires are to motorist safety, you would think that these would be the safest components of a car. Unfortunately, that's not the case. The tire industry has been wracked by some of the biggest safety scandals over the past decade, and many of these have been linked to tire defects.

The Ford Explorer scandal of the 90s was linked to defective Firestorm tires that increased the sports utility vehicle's risk of rollover. Hundreds of people died during these rollover accidents. Bridgestone Firestone was forced to recall millions of tires in response to the vast number of accidents, injuries and deaths reported from the use of the tires on Ford SUVs. To date, the Firestone/Ford Explorer crisis remains one of the deadliest auto safety scandals in the industry.

That wasn't the last Los Angeles Car Accident lawyers heard about tire defects. Last year, an investigation revealed that many tire retailers were selling consumers old and outdated tires. Tires come with a life span, and are meant to be used before the expiration period. Old and aged tires have a much higher risk of tread separation, contributing to a rollover.