My Tire Had a Blowout — What Do I Do?

You’re driving down the highway at 65 mph when one of your tires blows out. It’s an alarming experience even for experienced drivers. For inexperienced drivers, it can cause panic and a loss of vehicle control — leading to crashes, rollovers, and serious injuries.

What to Do During a Blowout

Don’t slam the brakes. This is the instinct, but it’s the wrong one. Hard braking during a blowout can cause you to lose control. Instead: keep a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands, gently press the gas pedal to maintain forward momentum (counterintuitive, but it stabilizes the vehicle), allow the vehicle to slow down gradually, steer gently toward the shoulder, and once you’ve slowed to 20-30 mph, lightly apply the brakes.

Turn on your hazard lights and get as far off the road as possible. If you can’t change the tire safely — especially on a busy highway — call for roadside assistance.

When Is Someone Else Liable?

Not all blowouts are “just bad luck.” Someone may be legally responsible if the tire had a manufacturing defect — a flaw in construction that caused it to fail. This is a products liability claim against the manufacturer. A mechanic improperly installed or inflated the tire, road debris that fell from another vehicle caused the blowout (the driver of that vehicle may be liable), or a pothole or road defect caused the failure (the responsible government entity may be liable).

Tire Defect Cases

Tire defect cases often involve tread separation, sidewall failures, and bead failures. These can be caused by improper rubber compounding, contamination during manufacturing, inadequate quality control, and design defects that make the tire prone to failure under normal use.

If you suspect a tire defect, preserve the tire. Do not throw it away or let the tow company dispose of it. The tire is the most critical piece of evidence in a defect case. Photograph the failure point from every angle. Note the tire’s make, model, DOT number, and date of manufacture (printed on the sidewall).

I-10 and Arizona Highway Blowouts

Arizona’s extreme heat accelerates tire degradation. Summer road surface temperatures can exceed 150°F, which weakens rubber and increases internal tire pressure. Our crash data shows I-10 — the deadliest highway in Arizona with 447 fatal crashes — sees a disproportionate number of tire-related incidents, particularly on the long stretches between Phoenix and Tucson.

If a tire blowout caused your accident, the Law Badgers will investigate whether a defective tire, improper maintenance, or road conditions contributed — and pursue every responsible party.