Every state in America has a law enforcement agency expressly dedicated to patrolling the highways and byways, monitoring the flow of vehicular traffic, enforcing violations of motor vehicle laws, and eyeballing unsafe equipment on cars and trucks that imperil all users of transportation lanes.
Those travel lanes have constant contact by tires…lots of ‘em.
Tires are a necessity in rolling automobiles to destinations. Over time and distance, tires wear down and can be hazardous for everyone sharing the highways and byways.
Tires give out for several reasons…and blowouts generate rubber strips —known as “tire gators,” pictured above— and lay like a land mine that can wreak havoc for oncoming motorists.
A Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) spokesperson said, “As the weather changes from warm to cold (or vice versa), it often brings more tire debris —those shredded pieces of tire we call “tire gators”— scattered along highways and roadways. These gators sneak out when sudden temperature shifts stress tires, sometimes causing them to fail as motorists are driving.”
(Photo courtesy of Second-Hand Sanctuary.)
KHP’s safety message is echoed in an American Automobile Association (AAA) bulletin, “We may already realize tires lose pressure when temperatures drop, but the opposite is also true. Indeed, for every 10-degree rise in temperature, tire pressure will increase by 1 PSI. During a heat wave, your tire pressure may increase by 5 PSI, which can make them overinflated.”
Per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Temperature grades are an indication of a tire’s resistance to heat. Sustained high temperatures (for example, driving long distances in hot weather), can cause a tire to deteriorate, leading to blowouts and tread separation. From highest to lowest, a tire’s resistance to heat is graded as “A”, “B”, or “C”.
Of current tires:
- 62% are rated “A”
- 34% are rated “B”
- 4% are rated “C”
If any tire is thread-bare, danger levels are heightened.
Some motorists seem to backburner the notion of replacing tires on their automobile…until it’s too late.
The NHTSA says, “Most vehicle owners can easily overlook tire aging, increasing their risk of a crash.”
As a patrol officer, I’ve encountered many horrid-looking tires on cars and trucks. Many were bald like a baby’s bottom. But those observations were only made possible by having the car or truck stopped for other violations of traffic codes (unlawful speed, running red lights, expired registration stickers, etc.).
Many traffic stops involved diplomatic lectures about bald tires, some exhibiting the meshed steel layers that are not supposed to show, at all. “Yeah, I know…just haven’t had the money,” was a common refrain.
Others feigned ignorance and thanked me for pointing out their dangerous situation, adding, “Maybe that’s why the car is hard to control when it is raining.” They smirked. I nodded.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) explains the principles of tire evaluation in a PSA called “Road Ready,” pointing out that drivers should always “Check tires for damage, tread wear and proper inflation. Take caution not to overload your vehicle, which can result in tire failure. Don’t forget to check your spare tire to ensure it’s in good condition and ready for use.”
The following image depicts a rollover crash in my jurisdiction in 2018. The vehicle was occupied by four people, all of whom were ejected due to not wearing seatbelts. The Florida Highway Patrol investigated and attributed the cause to a blown tire:
Fire/rescue “crews were called to the scene at 8:30 to treat the occupants who were not wearing seat belts, according to the FHP, resulting in partial ejections of the adults and full ejections of the children, ages one year and four months. We transported all four, at least one as a trauma alert,” said a Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesperson.
(Photo courtesy of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.)
Some folks do not have spare tires on board. A flat means waiting and paying for a wrecker service to get the auto to a tire repair/replacement shop (a costly gamble).
Moving products from point A to point B, the trucking industry has gobs of freight traversing the asphalt, the tonnage of which gradually deteriorates tires that have rotated infinitely and result in signs of wear and tear. Truck tires eventually surrender and blow out before a rig driver pre-emptively changes them before catastrophe ensues.
Most of the Good Year rubber strips and bits littering our nation’s roadways stem from large truck tires expiring while mobile. That makes for a bad day for all drivers on the same pathway.
Highway patrol cops see the tire gators. The strips of textured (threaded) rubber that break free after a tire blowout resemble an alligator sunning itself. In Florida, it is not uncommon for an alligator to take up space on the shoulder or even boldly cross the road.
While driving in Tampa Bay, sometimes I think I see an alligator up ahead, and I am right. Other times, as I drive nearer, I sigh at the sight of yet another tire gator, the result of a blown tire, and steer clear.
Since odd-numbered interstates are generally north/south conduits through states, Florida bent the rules a bit on that design. The southernmost stretch of I-75 spans the east coast to the west coast in South Florida; it is called “Alligator Alley,” for good reason.
Per Florida Trippers, “Alligator Alley in Florida is a stretch of I-75 that spans 80 miles. It cuts through the Everglades between Naples and Fort Lauderdale.”
(Map)
Years ago, motorists discerning between a real alligator on the shoulder or directly crossing …or just another strip of blown tire mimicking a gator’s ridged back, found out which once the distance gap was closed. Either way, caution was encouraged.
Today, due to too many alligators conflicting with traffic flow and other Everglades habitat wildlife being struck by motorists while attempting to cross (many speeders since there are no traffic control lights until a driver is at either end), fencing was installed along both sides to better contain animals. This means the guessing game between a real alligator and rubber tire strips was abated. Tire pieces galore…making the cross-state expanse a game of playing chicken.
As a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper reminded us, “Be sure to scan the road ahead and keep an eye out for these ‘tire gators.’ They’re not always easy to spot, but a little extra attention can keep your vehicle safe and avoid unexpected hazards.”
I don’t work for Good Year and do not know everything there is to know about the filaments in automobile tire manufacturing. Still, I know that tire gators are scattered out there and can do some damage to any oncoming vehicles. Steel belted tires mean the rubber donuts that help us traverse have a weave of metal fibers laced throughout. (TireMart.com offers a glimpse into tire specs and how quality makes a huge difference in safety.)
Ever had a tire gator bounce and slap the heck out of your auto’s grill or windshield?
When a tire blows, especially from a semi-tractor trailer, the pieces fly all over the place. If a motorist is directly behind the blowout, the windshield and/or body of the car will likely catch some of the rubber debris field. Larger bits are heavy and can crack or, God forbid, breach the windshield. I’ve experienced this once and almost lost control. Since then, I have been more observant of trucks’ tires (signs of an imminent blowout) and generally steer clear of this potential peril.
(Photo courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol.)
State troopers assigned to police agencies’ Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) units are relegated to ensuring the trucking industry complies with federally required safety guidelines, starting with tires that can blow and endanger other motorists.
Interestingly, troopers with the Kansas Highway Patrol have a protocol of stopping to retrieve every tire gator, roadkill, and other debris found on the state’s roadways. This policy encourages motorists to honor the Move Over Law so KSP cops can safely clear the lanes of unsafe conditions.
In Florida, roadway debris is gathered by state-employed civilian crews assigned to maintain the lanes, shoulders, and medians (cleanup and landscape). Although Florida’s civilian Road Rangers are dedicated to assisting motorists in disabled vehicles with some fuel (on E) and changing flat tires on the shoulder, I have seen them foisting chunks of things that can create havoc for oncoming traffic.
Despite the law enforcement officers enforcing traffic statutes, and civilian roadway workers tidying up the travel spaces, it behooves drivers to vigilantly scan the roadway ahead and prepare to avoid tire gators that can cause carnage.