18 wheelers’ Double Tires and a Few Possible Consequences Dean Law Firm Attorneys Houston Texas

18 wheelers’ Double Tires and a Few Possible Consequences

Posted by: Christopher Dean
February 05, 2012
Topic: 18-Wheeler Truck Accidents

Ever wonder why 18 wheelers have so many sets of double tires? The common name of a pair of tires is double tires, "dualies", or tandem. Tires are paired together in case one tire is compromised the other will support the truck or trailer until the ruined tire gets fixed.

Think of all the times one travels down a highway and sees the roadway littered with pieces of tire. Do NOT go over them? Tires have wire in them. These wires can puncture a car's tire and leave a motorist with a flat on the side of a highway. That is not a safe place to be.

Imagine being the motorist beside the 18 wheeler that has had a tire blow. For a moment in time, the truck driver has no control over that large vehicle. That is comparatively the same response a passenger vehicle would have to a tire blowing, but 18 wheelers are so much larger. The black rubber marks left on the highways from 18 wheeler blowouts leads one to believe that the drivers around the 18 wheeler had quite the scare as the truck driver strove to control the large vehicle.

Indeed, the tandem may have been developed as a safety precaution and money saver. However, there is a greater risk of other vehicles getting flat tires or worse, leading another motorist to an accident.