What causes a tyre to burst?
There are a variety of reasons for why tyres can burst, the main causes being:
A) Driving with low tyre pressure or carrying too heavy a load: If this continues for long periods it can lead to excessive flexing of the tyre sidewall which in itself can result in overheating and premature tyre wear. The tyres can eventually no longer cope and suddenly the tread just disintegrates and / or the tyre bursts.
B) Driving over obstructions or up against a kerb or through a pothole: The external impact can result in immediate, visible tyre damage such as bulges or cracks in the sidewall or it can cause internal damage: both, as in A) can result in the tread surface disintegrating and / or the tyre bursting. The damage however, may only weaken the tyre at this stage and if the car continues to be driven under strain (at high speeds and with a heavy load) the problem simply worsens and the already weakened tyre bursts at a later date. To sum up then, a tyre bursts when, through one of the above causes mentioned, the basic tyre structure itself is destroyed and the tyre simply collapses.
