Tyre punctures are a common and annoying problem faced by most drivers occasionally. Finding your car with an overnight flat, or pulling over during a holiday to fix one, can be disheartening, to say the least. But if your car’s tyres are getting punctured more often than usual, there might be a problem with them.
In this blog, we discuss the most common causes of tyre punctures and explore tire-related issues that might be causing them. Let’s get started with the top reasons for tyre punctures.
The three most common reasons for tyre punctures are sharp objects, damage from potholes, and large objects on the road.
Sharp Objects: Things like nails, bits of glass and wood, and sharp stones that can penetrate the tyre rubber are the most common cause of punctures. In fact, there is nothing much you can do to avoid a puncture caused by sharp objects as they are too small to be visible to the naked eye. However, these punctures can be easily fixed using a DIY puncture repair kit or at a puncture repair shop.
Impact Damage: Some punctures are caused by impact damage when you drive over a large pothole or raised kerb at speed. The impact can damage the sidewall lining and cause the bead to misalign. Such punctures usually happen in tubeless tyres as there is no inner tube to maintain the pneumatic pressure. Repairing such punctures is harder as the tyre itself is damaged and may require a tyre replacement or conversion of a tubeless tyre into a tubed one.
Large Objects: In India, we often find large objects like stones, bricks, or other debris lying on the road, dropped by a passing heavy vehicle. These objects can appear abruptly, not giving enough time for drivers to react. Impact damage from such objects can cause punctures or blowouts.
Apart from external objects, there are some internal factors that can lead to punctures, such as:
Under-inflation: All tyres lose air at a microscopic pace. But running with under-inflated tyres for long periods can weaken the sidewall and bead area of tyres. Such tyres leak air at a higher rate than normal and can end up looking flat. So, it’s essential that you keep your tyres inflated according to the car maker’s recommendations. Instructions for ideal air pressure can be found in the service manual or inside the door jamb of your car.
Worn Out Tyres: The tread pattern on a tyre serves a dual purpose - maintaining road grip and evacuating or capturing small objects that may otherwise damage the tyre surface. Old tyres are prone to puncture more frequently compared to newer tyres because they lack tread depth. Replacing old worn out tyres can ease your worry about frequent punctures.
Manufacturing Defects: In some rare cases, a manufacturing defect may leave weak spots on a tyre’s surface, which can cause frequent punctures. However, such defects are covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. Such defects can only be determined through professional inspection at a tyre shop.
In case of punctures, a properly inflated spare tyre is your emergency lifeline on the road. But people often neglect spare tyre health checks until they really need it. If the spare also turns out to be damaged or deflated, it will mean more unexpected delays in your journey.
Regularly check its pressure against the manufacturer's recommendation (usually found on the doorjamb sticker) and inflate as needed. As mentioned above, an unused tyre can slowly lose air over time, rendering it useless when you need it most. If the spare hasn’t been used for a long time, inspect the tyre for any signs of damage like cracks or bulges as the rubber compound naturally deteriorates with time.
If you are looking for premium tyre replacements you can now buy Vredestein Ultrac and Pinza tyres for cars and SUVs in India. Simply visit our online tyres shop or search for ‘Vredestein tyres near me’ on your maps application. Founded in 1909, the Vredestein tyre brand has perfected the craft of making high-performance tyres which are favoured by OEMs, race track drivers, and automotive enthusiasts.
For more information call 1800-2127-070.
In this last section we are covering some questions that Vredestein reps get asked all the time.
Q1. How long can you drive with a punctured tyre?
Driving with a completely flat tyre is not recommended because the vehicle weight can permanently damage its sidewall and ply construction. However, if you absolutely need to, a flat tyre can be driven for about 50-80 kilometres at slower speeds.
Q2. What happens when a tyre gets punctured while driving?
With older tube-type tires, a puncture resulted in rapid air loss and a noticeable pull on the steering. Modern tubeless tires, now standard on most vehicles, offer a more gradual loss of pressure. Unless the puncture is severe enough to cause immediate deflation, the change in handling may be subtle, but noticeable for experienced drivers.
Q3. How many times can you puncture and repair a tyre?
Generally there is a limit to puncture repairs for both tyres and tubes. According to certain manufacturers and standardised industry practices, if the punctures are quarter-inch across or less, the tyre can be repaired a few times before needing replacement. But if the punctures are larger than quarter-inch across, the tyre shouldn't be repaired more than twice. Another parameter is that if two large punctures occur within 16 inches of each other, the tyre should be replaced instead of repaired. If your car tyres are frequently getting punctured get them checked for terrain compatibility and structural or manufacturing defects.
