What are the impacts of underinflated car tires?
2 Answers
Underinflated car tires can lead to the following impacts: 1. Excessive wear on the tire shoulder; 2. Increased likelihood of impact-induced bulging; 3. Reduced adhesion between tire components, leading to delamination; 4. Severe underinflation causing sidewall damage from rolling; 5. Excessive tire bouncing, resulting in abnormal wear between the bead and rim; 6. Increased rolling resistance and higher fuel consumption. Driving with underinflated tires is a major cause of blowouts. When a vehicle is driven with underinflated tires (tire pressure below the standard level), the friction between the tire and the road multiplies as the pressure drops, causing a sharp rise in tire temperature. This makes the tire softer and significantly reduces its strength.
The issue of insufficient tire pressure is quite common. Based on my long-term driving experience, I've found it severely impacts safety: the risk of tire blowouts significantly increases, especially during hot weather or high-speed driving when tires are prone to overheating and deformation; vehicle handling becomes unstable, with a strong sense of skidding during turns, and braking distances lengthen, making reactions slower in emergency situations. Fuel consumption also surges, as increased rolling resistance forces the engine to work harder, typically adding around 10% more fuel usage. Tire wear accelerates, particularly premature wear on the shoulder areas, drastically shortening tire lifespan. It's advisable to regularly check with a simple pressure gauge and maintain the manufacturer's recommended values.
