Care and Feeding of Tires.

Jeffrey Meldon — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:46:05 GMT

A married couple from Ocala were killed while their twin daughters left uninjured, after a tire on the family mini van blew out in Valdosta Georgia on June 11th, 2009. Officers reported that Jonathan Simmons, 47, and his wife Undine, 46, died on the scene while inspecting the damage to their vehicle after the blow out. As the two were standing on I-75 an SUV, over- correcting from debris still remaining in the road, struck the Simmonses. The occupants of the SUV and the twin Simmons daughters were unharmed.

The period following an accident leaves those left behind with many emotions and questions, sometimes the most troubling being, could this have been prevented with proper tire maintenance? We probably will never know the answer to this question and my heart goes out to the Simmons family, however, maybe we can take this time to reflect on the important issue of care and maintence of our vehicle's tires.

A tire blow out is a sudden deflation of a tire during vehicle operation. It is almost spontaneous, and can lead to serious damage, roll-overs, loss of control of the vehicle, injury, and even death. The best way to deal with tire blow outs is to do what you can to prevent them from happening to you. The following are measures that every motorist should take before embarking on a cross country road trip, or even a cross town grocery run.

1) Check your tires' pressure at least once a month. Tire pressure gauges are available at any auto parts store and are both inexpensive and small for storage in your glove compartment. (Do not over or under inflate your tires; inflate to the recommended specifications for your particular tires.)

(Low tire pressure can also lead to reduced fuel economy)

2) Any time you run over a curb, debris in the road, or come into contact with any object while driving, get out and inspect all tires to ensure that they are undamaged.

3) Stay current with any recalls that might affect their safety performance.

4) If your tires are excessively worn, you should replace them immediately. Worn tires will reduce traction, overall vehicle performance, and run a higher risk of blow out. (You can do this by a visual inspection looking for bubbles, or seperations, and also you can check tread wear by inserting a penny, head down, between the treads, and if the treads do not cover part of Lincoln's head... your tires need replacing.)

5) Have your tires, and generally entire vehicle, inspected regularly. And if you suspect that there is a problem with your vehicle, have it examined by a certified mechanic.

Safe driving!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeffrey Meldon

Car Damage due to Gustav, Hanna, Ike or Josephine

John Salter — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:04:15 GMT

Many consumers in Florida purchase "FULL" coverage for their automobiles. The problem is the legal definition of that word. Under Florida law, consumers are only legally required to have PIP (no-fault, Personal Injury Protection, for your own injuries and wage loss) and PD (Property Damage, if you damage someone else's vehicle or property - not their bodies). If your car is damaged due to a Hurricane, Tropical Storm or other weather problems, your insurance company will not repair your car unless you have "Comprehensive" coverage. If you injure another person in the accident, and they have a "permanent" injury, and you do not have BI (bodily injury protection, for others) coverage, you can lose your license until you pay that person for their injuries. Call an experienced attorney in this area of the law to review your automobile insurance policy and coverage. "Full coverage" does not necessarily mean complete coverage, or enough to protect you and your Family's income and assets.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by John Salter

Gainesville, Ocala & Daytona Beach Personal Injury Lawyer - Motor Vehicle

Care and Feeding of Tires.

Car Damage due to Gustav, Hanna, Ike or Josephine