A Message for Florida Drivers on Tire Failure Accidents: How Safe Is Your Spare?
Anyone who's experienced a flat tire on Florida's roads and highways knows how important it is to have a good spare. But is that full-size spare tire that's been stored in the back of your car, truck, or SUV, unused for years, really safe? Your spare may look new, as it's never hit the pavement. But there's a potential danger that many Florida drivers are unaware of -- one that can cause serious and even fatal car accidents.
Aged Tires and Tire Blowout Accidents
Tires that look brand new may actually have been manufactured many years ago. "Every tire has a code and is stamped with the exact week and year in which the tire was made," said Attorney Jason Chalik in an interview conducted at the University of Miami. "The average consumer doesn't know that." To learn more about how to find the tire manufacturer date code on your tires, visit our Tire Date Coding and Safety webpage.
As experienced Florida tire product liability lawyers, the Chaliks have studied the factors that affect tire safety and tire defects, as well as tire date coding and the perils of driving on a spare that may look new but in reality, is old and unsafe. "We are currently handling the case of a young man who was driving on I-595, and the rear passenger tire tread completely fell apart," said Attorney Debi Chalik. "The entire tire unraveled. The tire was the original spare tire with the vehicle. It happened to be 10 years old at the time of the accident. What we learned through the case is that even though that tire had never hit pavement before, and the tread looked perfectly fine...the inside of the tire actually corrodes over time."
Added Attorney Jason Chalik: "We believe there should be an expiration date; that a tire that has not been driven and is six years old or more is unsafe to drive. With the heat of Florida, the rubber deteriorates." For video of the full interview, visit our Firm News / Successes page and see "Debi Chalik and Jason Chalik Discuss Tire Safety," Comcast Newsmakers, January 2009.
For more general information on tire recalls and defective tires, please visit our Tire Defects webpage.
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