One reason I have talked so much about tire inspection over the last few reports is that tire failure can result in a life-threatening situation. Especially if you have a blowout while driving.

The following information comes directly from a video produced by Michelin Tires’ RV division for the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). You can CLICK HERE to watch that instructional video.

In this report, I want to give you an important lesson in driving through a blowout that anyone driving an RV should know. It’s an important lesson because it involves not doing what most people would instinctively do in this situation. While we work through the stages of controlling your vehicle during a blowout, it is important to keep in mind that I am not guaranteeing that following these steps will work perfectly, but they should serve as a helpful set of guidelines that could ease you through a possible blowout.

When a blowout happens, you are going to immediately feel a force pushing you in the direction of the blown tire. It could be the left front tire, in which case you could be pushed into oncoming traffic, or if it’s the right rear, your vehicle could veer off the road and crash into something along the roadside. And, if you’re driving on a narrow mountain road, I don’t have to tell you what else might happen.

So, when a tire blows, you must quickly react to the sideways force you are experiencing and — read this carefully — do not hit the brakes. Instead, you should quickly step harder on the gas pedal to give more forward thrust to your vehicle. This will counteract and overcome the sideways force exerted by the blowout and keep your vehicle traveling straight forward.

If you were to step on the brakes, it could lead to curtailing your forward motion, letting the force of the blowout push you in a hazardous direction. Stepping harder on the gas can help to overcome the sideways force and this, combined with hard-grip steering, should keep you in control. When you feel you have the vehicle under control, gradually ease off the gas and slow the vehicle as much as you can handle while looking for a safe place to pull off the road.

Again, the key is reacting quickly when you feel the sudden pull in the blowout direction in order to assert more control of your forward motion with both your gas pedal and your steering.

Keeping these guidelines in mind can save lives and prevent injuries and additional damage to your vehicle. Remember this and share it with anyone who might be driving your vehicle.

So stay alert, stay aware, and have fun out there! Rudy.

Next time: I will tell you what roof products you should have with you on your next trip.

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