Why Are There Shredded Truck Tires on the Highway?

We’ve all seen them—long, curled strips of tire rubber spread across the highway, making it look like a truck lost its entire set of tires. People often assume these are the result of a tire blowout or crash, but not everyone understands why this sight is so common or why so many people have encountered shredded tires on Washington roads.

Tire debris leads to a significant number of accidents every year. If you’ve been involved in a truck accident in Washington, let’s talk. Call Philbrook Law, Accident and Injury Lawyers to set up a consultation now.

What exactly are the pieces you see on the highway?

Shredded truck tires are also known as “tire gators,” and police officers are constantly responding to reports about them and attempting to clean them up before they cause a collision.

Many of the tire gators you see on the road come from new and retreaded truck tires, with new tires appearing to be the higher share. This is often due to underinflation, overloading, heat, road hazards, or when the weather changes rapidly. When the temperature increases or decreases more than 10 degrees, tires often see a 1–2 PSI pressure difference.

Retreaded tires help commercial trucks—which typically log far more miles than passenger vehicles—extend the life of their tire casings and reduce replacement costs. Commercial carriers often do this to save money and prevent their vehicles from being out of service all the time. Retreads are fully legal, and a wide range of commercial carriers and public agencies use them, although federal rules do restrict the use of retreaded tires on the front wheels of buses. Much like regular tires, they are subject to blowouts and shredding.

Tire gators don’t usually come off in one fell swoop. The shreds develop slowly as a piece of tread delaminates, tears off the tire, and eventually falls off entirely.

Why are shredded truck tires so common?

If retreaded tires are so common and most trucks use them, why do we see gators everywhere we go? Even if a retreaded tire is completely safe, it can become weak under constant pressure and strain.

Underinflation is a common issue with retreaded tires. Low pressure exposes a tire to more flexing, heat, and friction. All of these factors ramp up the chances of tread separation. However, overloading can also make tires more likely to fray. Too much cargo—or cargo that is unbalanced—puts extra strain on specific tires, making them more likely to blow out before other tires.

Highway heat and speed are also triggers for tire gators. As the pavement heats up and the air around the tires gets warmer, the risk for shredding increases. This is especially risky if a truck runs into a sharp edge or pothole. While the tire is unlikely to fall apart immediately, the casing is weakened. This results in the tire shredding miles down the road.

Some tire gator issues aren’t the result of weather or unavoidable circumstances; they are caused by human error. Trucking schedules are demanding and aggressive, which is why trucks have such stringent maintenance schedules. When a trucking company skips inspections or rushes through inspections just to get them done, they may put unsafe vehicles back on the road.

Why retreaded tires fail—and are they’re safe?

Retreaded tires are not inherently unsafe. The fact is that thousands of companies use retreaded tires, and many of them replace tires before they have the chance to shred and leave behind road gators. These tires are generally safe when properly maintained. Most failures are linked to issues like underinflation, overloading, or road hazards rather than the retread process itself.

The issue of tire maintenance and responsibility may come into play when you are involved in a truck accident caused by a shredded tire. Companies often throw their hands up and deny liability, claiming that a shredded tire is an inevitable part of trucking. That’s not necessarily how insurance companies see it. A trucking company may be liable if a tire failure results from negligent maintenance, improper loading, skipped inspections, or violations of FMCSA standards. That’s where a truck accident lawyer can step in to help.

What happens when a truck tire has a blowout

Several types of collisions may follow when a truck tire has a slow blowout. A driver may jerk or swerve to avoid hitting tire rubber on the road, only to hit someone in a neighboring lane or get hit from behind when they slow down. While the insurance companies may look at the drivers involved in the crash, the true culprit may be the truck that left tire remnants on the road.

If a driver is unable to avoid hitting a shredded tire—somewhat common in dense traffic—they could have a single-vehicle collision. These tread strips are often thicker and more durable than most people expect, so running over one can cause damage to steering components and other parts of a vehicle. This can lead to a pile-up crash if the affected car crashes and comes to a complete stop in the middle of traffic.

Regardless of how an accident occurs, it’s clear that tire debris can put other drivers and vehicle occupants in danger. It’s essential that trucking companies be held liable when their trucks turn the road into an obstacle course. While the truck itself may be gone by the time its shredded tire causes a crash, insurance companies and investigators can track them down. This allows accident victims to seek compensation from the right party.

Start your truck accident case with Philbrook Law, Accident and Injury Lawyers

If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by a reckless trucking company, let’s talk about what comes next. Call us today or reach out online to schedule a consultation now.