Tyre damage and snow and ice are not always things motorists would put together – but they certainly should. With a blanket of snow covering much of the UK it becomes increasingly difficult for drivers as they can not always see things clearly such as kerbs, potholes and hidden debris concealed by the snow.
Its very easy to get caught out by a kerb covered in snow or ice whether your are simply trying to park or whether you slide resulting in contact. As well as possible mechanical damage, this could lead to a damaged tyre sidewall. If you kerb your tyre, the friction between the kerb and the tyre can cause it to tear the sidewall of the tyre. In some cases you can pinch the tyre releasing some of the air before it reseals again leaving you with a dangerously under inflated tyre.
Potholes are a particularly bad problem at this time of year. When water freezes below the road surface it expands and raises the tarmac. When temperatures climb the ice melts and leaves a void under the surface. As tyres pass over the damaged area the tarmac is pushed back down and cracks. This causes the tarmac to break away leaving a pothole. Potholes can cause “Impact Damage” to a tyre resulting in failure of the internal components of the tyre. Failure of the tyres structure can cause the tyre to go out of shape, bulge at the sidewall or even blowout.
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