It is really hard to tell if someone puts a nail or screw in your tire intentionally unless they are caught at it, but the only way to nail out this intention is when you observe the nail or screw being shoved deep into the sidewalls of the tire. This proves that it was deliberately done.
A better way to detect this is to observe how the car is moving, maybe it pulls over to one side more than the other, with this you tell if your tire is punctured but can’t really tell if it was punctured intentionally except if the nail/screw is by the side of the tire wall.
How Easy is it to Get a Nail in Your Tire?
It is very easy to get a nail/screw in your tire, what the person has to do is to position the nail where your tire is likely to touch as you drive in and out, and hopefully, one day, the nail will enter your tire.
However, it is very easy to discover if a nail is in your tire. While driving, a deflating tire loses air, and the car shifts more to one side than the other. With this, you can detect which of the tire is leaking and get it fixed.
Aside from discovering the nail, it is quite possible you detect nothing until you are off the car.
Sometimes, the nail might puncture deep into the tire and by so doing prevents air pressure from getting out until it is removed.
In cases like this, you can easily get the nail when you constantly check your tire before going out or when dropping it off should in case you have your tire punctured.
Having a nail inside your tire may lead to shaking steering wheels depending on the level of damage the nail made to the tire. So the best way to do this is to check and be sure there is no nail inside your tire.
How to Tell if Someone Put a Nail in your Tire
Tires are vulnerable to punctures and fire. They are quick to give up when they come in contact with these things.
The easiest thing you can do in a car, even if you haven’t driven a car before, is to detect if a car tire is punctured or not.
To tell if the puncture was an intentional act requires a few more stretching which are:
1. Your Tire is Losing Pressure
Has there ever been a time when you slept with your tire intact, you drove it into your driveway perfectly okay and the next morning you discover your tire has lost weight because of the excessive pressure it has released because of a puncture?
Maybe you didn’t pay more attention, and you drove out to run at an expected speed only to have your car weigh more on one side than the other.
It is an uncomfortable experience that requires you to restore back the tires by refilling the tires with the required air pressure.
It is also quite noticeable when the nail is by the wall side of the tire. It shows the nail wasn’t a mistake of passing the wrong side of the road. It is someone who purposefully wants to see you blaze up with anger.
It is true that too much loss of air in the tire won’t cause your car to shake when you hit 60 mph, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do the needful. A stitch in time saves nine.
2. Having More Time for Tire Inspection
Taking time to check your tires extensively can give you the insight to know if someone has fixed a nail in your tire.
Many times, it doesn’t have to be a big nail staring at you; it can be a small nail/screw hiding in the inner part or within the thread. To find this requires you to check every end of your tire.
You can choose to do a rigorous search by lifting the car with a jack and rotating the tire to check properly if any nail is hiding in your car or you can simply have the tire loosed if you feel you need to do more checking.
3. Apply Water on the Tire
Small nails are deceptive; you won’t know that there is a nail in your tire because it causes the tire to lose its air slowly.
This is also demanding to be corrected as soon as you notice it. It can’t cause you immediate cost, but ignoring it can increase its effect on the tire.
Another approach is to have the tire removed after raising it with a jack and then placing it in a container with clean water.
With this, you can detect the hidden pores in the when rim. It will reveal places where the tire is reducing in air little by little.
Can You Sue Someone for Putting a Nail in Your Tire?
If the culprit is caught putting a nail in your tire, you can always sue for damages or file a police report.
In cases like this, the victim isn’t subjugated to a higher punishment, but he/she will pay for damages and the police have more of the power to determine what next to be done to the culprit and what the victim gets from committing such crime.
Dangers of Driving With Nails in Your Tire
The safety or danger of having a nail in your tire are:
It Can Cause a Blowout
Having a hole in your tire can cause a blowout and this can cause damage to your car and to your life, most especially when you are driving on a highway. This only happens if the puncture causes the tire to lose air pressure as fast as possible.
There are cases where we have a nail dig deep into a tire which prevents air from escaping. In cases like this; accidents can’t happen because the reason for a blowout is when we have the tire completely lean because of losing too much air.
It Can Cost You More Money
Driving your car with a nail hanging inside your tire can cause serious damage to the tire which can make it non-repairable; so don’t be among those that are asking how long can one drive with a nail in the tire.
If you stop to fix it, there is a possibility of getting it repaired instead of spending more to have it replaced but sometimes, a few people prefer having everything fresh so they would rather go for a new tire than have themselves pushed through the stress of patching a tire or trying to check which part of the tire Is leaking.
3. You Can Get Others Injured
Accidents shouldn’t be ignored. Having people around when you experience a blowout in your tire can have people injured. It isn’t safe for you and the people around you.
It is best you repair immediately you discover your tire isn’t in a good condition to sponsor a journey. Make it easy on yourself by changing the tire or having it fixed by a professional.
Conclusion
One of the ways how to tell if someone put a nail in your tire is by always checking your tire. It is both safe and risky to have a nail in your tire. It is safe when the tire doesn’t lose air because of the nail/screw digging deep into the tire, preventing air from escaping, but where the tire loses air every second; you should fix the issues as soon as possible to avoid spending more cash or endangering your life or the life of people around you when you have a blowout tire.