Is it safe to drive on a repaired tire on the highway?
2 Answers
A repaired tire can affect highway driving safety. If the tire puncture exceeds 6mm, it should not be used on highways as this may lead to tire blowouts. Tires are circular elastic rubber products mounted on various vehicles or machinery that roll on the ground. Typically installed on metal rims, tires support the vehicle body, absorb external shocks, maintain contact with the road surface, and ensure driving performance. Tires operate under complex and demanding conditions, enduring various deformations, loads, forces, and temperature extremes during use. Therefore, they must possess high load-bearing capacity, traction performance, and shock absorption. Additionally, they require excellent wear resistance, flex resistance, and low rolling resistance with minimal heat generation.
I've been driving for decades and have seen many cases of tire repair failures, especially at highway speeds where tires heat up quickly. Repaired areas are prone to delamination or even blowouts. Once, I fixed a tire with a mushroom plug myself, thinking it was secure, but when I hit 120 km/h on the highway, the wheel suddenly started shaking violently. It gave me such a scare that I broke out in a cold sweat and immediately pulled over to check. I found a small crack at the edge of the repair. Thankfully, nothing worse happened, but since then, I only use repaired tires in the city. For highway driving, I always switch to new tires or have a professional check the tire pressure and wear. Tire repair isn't a long-term solution. Spending a bit more to get new tires before a long trip is much safer—life is far more important than saving money.
