New Driver? Be Aware Of These Signs That Indicate A Flat Tire

Every once in a while, you see a motorist cruising along the road on a flat tire -- seemingly oblivious. In some cases, you might even see a driver whose tire has shredded completely, but the driver continues to proceed along the road on his or her rim. Doing so not only jeopardizes the ability to control the vehicle, but also will result in significant damage to the rim and other related components. When you're a new driver who hasn't had a flat tire, you might not know the symptoms of a flat tire. It's beneficial to brush up on this information so that if you encounter it, you can act quickly and pull over to a safe spot. Here are the signs that your tire is flat or about to go flat.

Sudden Change In Tire Noise

Typically, your tires shouldn't produce much noise, although you might occasionally be wear of the sound that they make when you drive. If you encounter a sudden change in the sound from one of your tires, it's often a sign that the tire is going flat. The sound of a tire going flat is difficult to describe -- sometimes it sounds as though the tire is flopping, which actually may be the case if part of the tread has peeled off the tire and is slapping against the road as you drive.

Strong, Sudden Vibration

A tire that has gone flat or is in the process of going flat will often generate a significant amount of vibration in your vehicle. This occurs because the car is no longer driving evenly on four tires, so the vehicle's weight won't be distributed equally from left to right and from front to back. The vibration should be easy to detect -- you'll often feel it in your body and you should definitely feel it in the steering wheel and through your foot as it is pressed against the brake pedal.

Veering To Either Side

It will often be difficult to keep your car under control when a tire goes flat -- and this is especially true of a flat front tire. If the passenger side tire on the front of your vehicle goes flat, for example, you'll often feel the car begin to veer to the right side. This control issue isn't always as easy to detect if you have a rear tire going flat, but the other symptoms should be enough to bring the issue to your attention. Contact a business, such as Collier Tire Auto & Truck Repair Center, for more information.