A tire blowout caused an RV to overturn in a fatal accident on I-4 in Polk County, Florida. One person has been confirmed dead after the RV crash Sunday afternoon.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the RV was traveling westbound on I-4 near the 31 milepost in the center lane when it had a tire blow out, reports WTSP.
As the RV drove off the roadway, it hit a light post. The RV overturned and ended up on its left side.
A 47-year-old Naples resident inside of the RV died at the scene of the crash.
When a tire blows out, the first instinct is to hit the brakes. This will increase the pull to the side of the blown tire. Best thing is to keep your foot on the gas and ride it out while gradually slowing down.
A Safe T Plus steering control can help keep the front wheels from veering as a result of a blowout. I installed one because I’m just not sure how I would react if it happens.
I’ve got a few million miles of driving in, and have lost a few tires on the front and rear axles of my vehicles as well as the trailers. One thing I’ve learned is to not overreact when something goes wrong. When a tire blows any sudden braking or turns can often result in disaster. So the thing to do is keep the steering wheel as straight as you can and begin reducing speed gradually by taking pressure off the accelerator. I also know where my 4-way flasher is located on the dash board without looking for it, so I punch in that button as well to warn everyone else that there’s an emergency in progress. I lost a front wheel once (my bad due to not checking lug nuts), and it’s possible to maintain control under this really scary situation, as long as you remain calm and don’t make any sudden course corrections.
Know the actual age of your tires. Replace at 7 year mark. Tires are cheap, life is not.
Check pressure at every tire, including spare, before every trip. Inspect for road damage. Plugged tires are dangerous at the weight of your RV.
The tires were not old. we didn’t think his life was not cheap. I would pay any amount of money to have him back and safe.
Use tire monitors and sensors, and replace tires at the 7 year point regardless of how they look.