ENRIQUE TAMEZ VASQUEZ
U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command Safety Office
Fort Huachuca, Arizona
Millions of motorists take to the road every day, but most don't realize the pivotal role that driver's training and thorough safety inspections play in averting catastrophic tire blowouts and safeguarding lives. Join me on a journey as I recount a harrowing incident on a scorching summer afternoon, where swift action and preparedness prevented a potentially fatal rollover.
My story begins on a hot Saturday morning as my family and I traveled from El Paso, Texas, on our way to Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico. As the driver, I decided we would leave about 7:30 a.m. to avoid extreme heat on the road. All seemed well as we crossed the salt flats prior to reaching the Guadalupe Mountains.
Approaching the mountain range, I stepped on the accelerator to compensate for the steep incline on the highway. As the time approached 9 a.m., and with no onboard thermostat on my Ford passenger minivan, I did not realize the temperature had already risen above 100 F. Traveling with me on that fateful day were my wife, our four children — who were all under 15 years old — and a fellow Soldier. Seven people jam-packed into my minivan, all without a clue as to what was about to happen.
Up until that point, I never imagined I would have a severe tire blowout. Having learned from working for a major tire company while in college, I had always been careful about keeping my tires at the right air pressure and with plenty of tread. In addition, on the Friday prior to the trip, my section NCO conducted an inspection on my vehicle, approving me to go on pass. No deficiencies were noted and there was plenty of tire tread.
Navigating the family minivan up the incline toward the mountain range, I saw no reason to stop accelerating. But before I knew it, there was a loud bang and the van violently shook and lifted off the road on the driver’s side. The horizon changed to a near vertical position.
My wife and children screamed as I took my foot off the accelerator, gripped the steering wheel with both hands and held it as straight as I could because I was driving on two wheels. I'll never forget the look on my wife's face as she looked at me and shouted my name, “Henry!” Knowing I needed to quell her fear, I calmly replied, “Herbie,” making a reference to Disney’s Herbie the Love Bug, a Volkswagen that often traveled on two wheels. She understood my morbid sense of humor, smiled back and asked, “You got this, right?”
As I continued decelerating, the van slowed enough so that I could maneuver the steering wheel and gently bring the van back down on all four wheels. Within seconds, as I steered toward the shoulder, the blown-out tire impeded the vehicle from traveling any farther and we came to a stop. I unbuckled and exited the van safely to assess the damage. The rear driver’s-side fiberglass bumper was torn off. The rubber on the blown-out tire was practically gone, with shreds all over the road and embedded in the van’s undercarriage. After a careful inspection of the tire, and comparing it to the three others, I noticed miniscule evidence that the rubber had tiny cracks on the sidewall that may have been hard to see during our pre-inspection.
For my family and me, this incident provided a lot of lessons learned that impacted the way we now prepare for long, as well as short, road trips. Living in the hot and arid southwest United States has taught us to constantly check our tires for cracks, bulges, separation, tread wear and proper pressure. We learned that the wear and tear on tires is magnified by high temperatures, as they tend to expand the faster you drive.
Meticulous tire inspections are now mandatory. Even if we decide to inspect the sidewalls with a magnifying glass, we never feel like we are overdoing it. Additionally, through this experience, I have learned that by attending refresher driving classes, I can acquire the essential vehicle control skills necessary for staying safe on the road. Hence, by learning to keep positive control of my vehicle during extreme weather conditions or unanticipated road hazards, I can help prevent injuries and save lives.
Most traffic safety experts recommend all licensed motorists take a driver refresher course to assist them with updating and refining their skills. Refresher training usually covers changes in traffic laws, defensive driving techniques and adapting to new technological advances in vehicles. Here are four tips my family learned about tire blowouts:
- If you experience a blowout, you’ll hear a loud pop (bang) before the car veers violently to one side. Stay calm. It may sound counterintuitive, but the first action you should take is no action at all.
- You’ll instinctively want to slam on the brakes, but do not do this. Slamming on the brakes can cause you to lose control of the vehicle. Instead, grip the wheel with both hands and hold it straight. Even though your car will likely start pulling to the left or right, don’t try to correct it because overcorrecting could prove disastrous.
- Maintaining forward momentum by lightly pressing the gas pedal is beneficial because if you’re hitting the gas, you won’t be slamming on the brakes, which, again, is the worst thing you can do in this situation.
- After following the previous three steps, you can gain control of the vehicle by easing off the gas and letting the car slow down on its own, which should happen quickly because of the drag of the blown tire. Once you hit about 30 mph, you can apply the brakes, and your vehicle should come to a safe stop.
For more information, articles and tips on tire safety, please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration page at https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/tires.