{"id":2665,"date":"2021-03-29T12:37:28","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T09:37:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/?p=2665"},"modified":"2025-09-02T10:18:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T07:18:56","slug":"can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Low Tire Tread Cause a Car Accident?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Tire treads\u00a0are specifically designed grooves on a vehicle\u2019s tire. These grooves, or channels, provide the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/t\/sn-traction\/\">traction<\/a> needed to grip the road in inclement weather, such as snow, ice, and rain. Without this traction, vehicles can be difficult to control on slick, wet, and icy roads. That\u2019s why the <a href=\"https:\/\/finzfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyer\/\">New York car accident attorneys<\/a> of Finz &amp; Finz, P.C. want to increase awareness that driving on tires without adequate tread \u2013 commonly referred to as bald tires \u2013 is extremely dangerous, especially in bad weather.<\/p>\n<p>Tire treads function by whisking water away from the tire, allowing the tire to maintain a grip on the road. Treads also ensure that the vehicle travels in the direction in which it is steered. Learning the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/used-tires-tread-need-know\/\">used tire tread basics<\/a>\u00a0can help drivers understand why bald tires cannot force water away, making it hard to control and steer the vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov\/Api\/Public\/ViewPublication\/811617\">U.S. Department of Transportation<\/a> estimates that approximately 10% of vehicles operating on the road have at least one bald tire. This means there are millions of unsafe vehicles operating throughout the country. Driving on bald tires can lead to accidents that cause serious injuries and even death. That\u2019s why it\u2019s critical to check and maintain your tires. The cost of replacing and maintaining tires is slight compared to the expenses you could incur from an accident caused by insufficient tire tread.<\/p>\n<p>Low tire tread can compromise your safety in a range of ways, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hydroplaning<\/strong>.\u00a0If water gets in between the tires and the road, the car might start to slide uncontrollably. Hydroplaning can result in a significant loss of steering and braking function. Tires with low tread have grooves that are too shallow, making them less efficient at forcing water away and gripping the road in wet conditions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Excessive heat buildup<\/strong>.\u00a0Heat is caused by the friction between tires and the road. Excessive heat can cause a tire blowout, which can lead to you losing control of the vehicle. Once the surface temperature of the tire reaches its limit, the tire becomes dangerous. Good treads cool the tire by enabling airflow between the grooves. Because bald tires don\u2019t have grooves, the heat can increase to unsafe levels.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Blowouts<\/strong>.\u00a0Good treads lessen the chances of experiencing a tire blowout while driving. Tire blowouts are extremely dangerous and may even be fatal, especially when traveling at high speeds. While good treads cannot prevent all punctures, they have a far greater chance of resisting blowouts than tires without treads.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Difficulty stopping<\/strong>: Bald tires can compromise your vehicle\u2019s ability to brake effectively.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Maintenance issues:\u00a0<\/strong>Uneven wheel alignment and balance due to worn-out tires can eventually cause costly maintenance to your vehicle.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Low air pressure.<\/strong>\u00a0Tires with low treads lose air quicker than those with good treads. When worn-out tires become under-inflated, they cannot grip the road, making it hard to steer and maneuver.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Risk of puncture.<\/strong>\u00a0Good treads lessen the chance the tire will puncture. Low tread tires are thinner, making them more susceptible to being punctured by sharp items like nails.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/#How_to_Help_Prevent_Tire-Related_Accidents\" title=\"How to Help Prevent Tire-Related Accidents\">How to Help Prevent Tire-Related Accidents<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/#Causes_of_Tire_Blowouts\" title=\"Causes of Tire Blowouts\">Causes of Tire Blowouts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/#Who_Is_At_Fault_For_a_Blowout_Accident\" title=\"Who Is At Fault For a Blowout Accident?\">Who Is At Fault For a Blowout Accident?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/#About_Finz_Finz_PC\" title=\"About Finz &amp; Finz, P.C.\">About Finz &amp; Finz, P.C.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Help_Prevent_Tire-Related_Accidents\"><\/span>How to Help Prevent Tire-Related Accidents<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Taking the following steps can help prevent accidents related to tires:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Check the tire pressure.\u00a0<\/strong>Don\u2019t ignore checking and adjusting your tire pressure. Make sure all your tires are at the right pressure at all times. Low tire pressure significantly boosts your chance of a blowout and makes it more difficult for you to turn and brake.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check for tire tread wear marks<\/strong>. It is important to be aware of how to check your tires for wear and tear. Utires provides useful guides for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/tire-tread-wear-marks-and-what-to-look-out-for-to\/\">gauging tread depth and identifying signs of wear<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rotate your tires.\u00a0<\/strong>You need to rotate your tires every <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/how-often-should-i-get-my-tires-rotated-and-balanced\/\">six months or 6,000-8,000 miles<\/a>. When you do this, you can even out the wear and tear, increasing the tire\u2019s life and ensuring that you, your passengers, and others on the road are safe.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Replace your tires.\u00a0<\/strong>It\u2019s wise to take a close look at your tires after approximately five years. Inspect the tread depth. If it goes below 2\/32 of an inch, you need to replace it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Causes_of_Tire_Blowouts\"><\/span>Causes of Tire Blowouts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In addition to worn tire treads, there are many reasons why tire blowouts occur, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Under-inflation<\/li>\n<li>Over-inflation<\/li>\n<li>Defectively manufactured tires<\/li>\n<li>Hot temperatures<\/li>\n<li>Increased driving times<\/li>\n<li>Poorly maintained roads<\/li>\n<li>Potholes<\/li>\n<li>Slow Leaks<\/li>\n<li>Faster driving on freeways<\/li>\n<li>Heavier vehicles loaded with cargo<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Is_At_Fault_For_a_Blowout_Accident\"><\/span>Who Is At Fault For a Blowout Accident?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Drivers are responsible for maintaining their vehicles. However, there could be other parties at fault for a blowout accident, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Driver<\/strong>:\u00a0In the majority of cases, a tire blowout is due to worn-out or bad tires. When motorists fail to regularly inspect and maintain their tires, they are generally liable for any accident caused.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tire manufacturer, shop, or retailer<\/strong>:\u00a0In recent years, thousands of tires have been recalled due to potential sidewall failure and other defects. Often, drivers continue to drive on tires that were recalled. Keep in mind that just because a manufacturer issued a recall, it does not mean they cannot still be held liable in a product liability claim. In addition, tire shops may be liable if they repaired a flat tire inadequately or sold a used tire as new. A retailer can be liable for stocking and selling a tire that is over a certain number of years old.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Municipalities<\/strong>:\u00a0Poorly maintained or badly damaged roads can cause tire blowouts. State and local governments have a duty to maintain the roads and make sure they are in a condition that\u2019s deemed to be safe for drivers. Municipalities must also warn of potential hazards, such as road construction. If a municipality is aware that a road is in a poor or dangerous condition and fails to address the issue, they may be held liable for any accidents and injuries that result.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Determining which party or parties are liable for a blowout can be complicated. If you\u2019ve been hurt in an accident caused by a tire blowout or other issue involving low tire tread, contact an experienced <a href=\"https:\/\/finzfirm.com\/car-accident-lawyer\/\">car accident lawyer<\/a> to review your case. A skilled lawyer can investigate the crash, determine what caused it, and identify the liable parties. Once this has been established, they can help you pursue the compensation you\u2019re owed.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About_Finz_Finz_PC\"><\/span>About Finz &amp; Finz, P.C.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The New York <a href=\"https:\/\/finzfirm.com\/\">personal injury attorneys<\/a> at Finz &amp; Finz, P.C. have over 35 years of experience representing people injured in car, truck, bus and motorcycle accidents. We have offices in Long Island and Manhattan. Call Finz &amp; Finz, P.C. at 855-TOP-FIRM now for a free, no-obligation consultation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tire treads&nbsp;are specifically designed grooves on a vehicle&rsquo;s tire. These grooves, or channels, provide the traction needed to grip the road in inclement weather, such as snow, ice, and rain. Without this traction, vehicles can be difficult to control on slick, wet, and icy roads. That&rsquo;s why the New York car accident attorneys of Finz [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-information"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Can Low Tire Tread Cause a Car Accident? - General information<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Causes of tire blowouts. Learn how to help prevent tire-related accidents - check the following steps to prevent them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can Low Tire Tread Cause a Car Accident? - General information\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Causes of tire blowouts. Learn how to help prevent tire-related accidents - check the following steps to prevent them.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Tire Reviews, Buying Guide &amp; Interesting Facts - Utires.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-29T09:37:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-02T07:18:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"hrushetskyy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"hrushetskyy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/\",\"name\":\"Can Low Tire Tread Cause a Car Accident? - General information\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-29T09:37:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-02T07:18:56+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/1c3b77b87c2ca712466e7fc48265377a\"},\"description\":\"Causes of tire blowouts. Learn how to help prevent tire-related accidents - check the following steps to prevent them.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Can Low Tire Tread Cause a Car Accident?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/\",\"name\":\"Tire Reviews, Buying Guide &amp; Interesting Facts - Utires.com\",\"description\":\"Tire Reviews, Buying Guide &amp; Interesting Facts - Utires.com\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/1c3b77b87c2ca712466e7fc48265377a\",\"name\":\"hrushetskyy\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/author\/hrushetskyy\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Can Low Tire Tread Cause a Car Accident? - General information","description":"Causes of tire blowouts. Learn how to help prevent tire-related accidents - check the following steps to prevent them.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Can Low Tire Tread Cause a Car Accident? - General information","og_description":"Causes of tire blowouts. Learn how to help prevent tire-related accidents - check the following steps to prevent them.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/","og_site_name":"Tire Reviews, Buying Guide &amp; Interesting Facts - Utires.com","article_published_time":"2021-03-29T09:37:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-02T07:18:56+00:00","author":"hrushetskyy","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"hrushetskyy","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/","url":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/","name":"Can Low Tire Tread Cause a Car Accident? - General information","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-03-29T09:37:28+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-02T07:18:56+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/1c3b77b87c2ca712466e7fc48265377a"},"description":"Causes of tire blowouts. Learn how to help prevent tire-related accidents - check the following steps to prevent them.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/can-low-tire-tread-cause-a-car-accident\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Can Low Tire Tread Cause a Car Accident?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/","name":"Tire Reviews, Buying Guide &amp; Interesting Facts - Utires.com","description":"Tire Reviews, Buying Guide &amp; Interesting Facts - Utires.com","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/1c3b77b87c2ca712466e7fc48265377a","name":"hrushetskyy","url":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/author\/hrushetskyy\/"}]}},"modified_by":"hrushetskyy","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2665"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2665"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5897,"href":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2665\/revisions\/5897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.utires.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}