Where the rubber meets the road

It is really really hot here in Texas and I am seeing more and more rubber on the road recently.  Blown tires, blow outs and even regular flat tires represent real dangers to drivers in the summer.   My neighbor had a blow out on I45 south recently and it was 95 feels like 105 with the heat index, but the real danger was they were in the left lane and there is very little break down lane on this highway.   Although there is little to no scientific evidence to support it, on the contrary, race car teams use heat with their tires, I suspect it is really hot, there is a greater likelihood of a blowout.   Our at least, the rubber on the highways in Houston would indicate such.

I also seem to recall a lot of rubber on the roads in Phoenix and Las Vegas…

If you see some poor sole with a blown out tire changing it in the heat, give them a break, get over and give them some room.

DefensiveDriving.com’ s award winning movie, Wheels in Motion, details several different driver safety scenarios and its driver programs emphasize what to do in certain emergency situations.

The videos at https://ddo.vertex.com/safe-driver-resources/ like the one below dealing with flat tires, are a great resource for learning the proper way to stay safe when encountering a driving emergency.

Have a safe weekend.