ARIZONA, USA — Tire blowouts become a lot more common on Arizona's roads and highways as temperatures begin to heat up across the state, according to car repair experts.
“You are losing a lot more tread in the summertime in Arizona than in other places with cooler climates,” said Aedan Livingston with Inman & Sons Auto and Truck Center in Phoenix.
Livingston, who has been the service manager at the auto repair shop for five years, blames the combination of scorching asphalt heated by the sun and the friction from worn-out, or under-inflated tires for the increase in tire blowouts during the summer.
In the first few days of April, tire blowouts across Arizona caused two fatal crashes that killed five people.
Oreste Carrasco, 78, Barbara Garcia-Guerrero, 81, and Maria Hernandez-Torres, 69, were killed in a crash along Interstate 10 in Marana on Thursday, Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers said.
The crash likely started with a blown tire, causing the truck they were in to roll over, investigators said. All three of them were ejected from the vehicle.
Two other people were killed in a two-car crash south of Buckeye on State Route 85 on Friday, DPS troopers said. A blown tire was also a likely factor in that crash.
Livingston's preparing to see more customers in need of tire repair due to blowouts as the summer nears. He recommends checking a few things on your car which could help save both your life and other and the lives of other drivers.
Tread depth, or the amount of rubber on your tire, treadwear, or how long your tire lasts, and the date manufactured are all things Livingston recommends paying attention to. Tires with less tread are at risk from blowouts because there’s less protection from the heat from the asphalt as you’re driving.
"You're just kinda inflating a balloon ... a very, very thin balloon. As it heats up ... it's going to pop at some point. The heat is expanding the air inside of the tire," Livingston said.
He also recommended having tires that are less than five years old. However, that's dependent on how worn the tires' tread is.
His biggest recommendation is don’t ignore the tire pressure light when it comes on in your car. It’s the first telltale sign that something could be wrong.
“Make sure when it comes on you get it checked out by a professional," Livingston said. "The last thing you want to do is have a blowout in 100-degree heat in Arizona, and be stuck on the side of the road with no AC."
If you have any doubt, Livingston recommends getting your car checked out by licensed professionals.
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