Slashed Tire or Blowout: How to Tell

You just stepped out to notice a puncture in your tires. Two possibilities are running through your head; a slashed tire or blowout.

You will love to know what a slashed tire looks like, but more importantly, it becomes important for you to know the difference between a slashed tire and a blowout.

This will help understand how to view the puncture; as a threat or an accident.

A lot of times, it is difficult to spot the differences between a slashed tire and a blowout.

If someone wants to intentionally mess with your tire, they wouldn’t mind taking a careful process to ensure a neat job.

However, the easiest way to differentiate between slashed tires and blowout is from the puncture marks.

Slashed tires are usually done by sharp objects; knives, screwdrivers, scissors, etc. This gives the cut marks from slashed tires sharp edges.

If you notice an even straight cut mark, then it’s surely a slashed tire. A blowout has irregular edges, uneven ends, with a jagged look.

This is entirely different from a slashed tire that will maintain the shape of the object used.

A traditional way of differentiating a slashed tire from a blowout is that a blowout will make a loud noise when it pops, unlike a slashed tire that will gradually deflate.

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What does a slashed tire look like?

A slashed tire will always look like the sharp edges of the object used in cutting through it. Slashed tires usually take the form of a clean knife cut.

This is in cases where someone used a knife to slash the tires. Slashed tires are always caused by objects with regular edges.

No matter how the person that slashed your tires will try to make it less obvious, the puncture marks are always regular. However, the tool used to slash the tires will determine how they look.

If you have slashed tires done with a chef knife, the slashed tire will have a clean slant cut mark. The shape of the slash is the same as when some slash your tires with a pocket knife.

If your attacker used an awl or a picker to smash your tires, the slashed tire will have a round hole. The object used to inflict harm on the tires will determine how it will look.

What does a slashed tire sound like

There are a lot of factors that will decide how a slashed tire should sound. Naturally, a ruptured tire should release a noisy ‘psssh‘ sound. You are cutting through different treads and layers of rubber.

The air pressure as air rushes out the tire causes the hissing sound. In natural circumstances, the rush of air from a slashed tire is always noisy but it may not alert the neighbors.

However, a lot of people are gradually learning innovative ways of slashing tires without making much noise. This includes loosening the tire’s valve to lose some air that will reduce the air pressure-packed up in the tire.

To avoid alerting the neighborhood, a lot prefer hiding a nail under a tire. The ignorant driver rides on the roofing nail which now gets attached to his tire.

The tire carefully deflates without much noise. The noise from a slashed tire is not as loud as a blowout. However, if done wrong you will have the neighborhood surrounding you before you can find a means to escape.

How long will it take a slashed tire to deflate?

It approximately takes 15 seconds to 1 hour to deflate a tire. The speed at which the tire loses air determines the duration of deflation.

The tool used to puncture the tire plays a great role in how long it will take to deflate it. A bigger tool will create a hole on the slashed tire that makes it lose air faster than normal.

The speed at which a tire will lose air with a big slash is not the same as a mild puncture with a nail. A slashed tire deflates quicker than a tire leak.

Tire leaks might take up to 12 hours to deflate. The fault might go unnoticeable till the next day.

However, the deflation of a slashed tire also goes down to determine how deep the cut went. There are chances that someone took a quick punch in your tires.

In a hurry, the slash failed to go deep into your tire’s tube. This will result in a slow leak that might even take months.

It is difficult to spot a slow leak, especially if it is carefully done. The person that wants to play with your tires has to use tiny sharp objects that wouldn’t leave a noticeable hole but stick to your teak as you ride.

You might only notice this leak after your tires have deflated or if you pour water on your tires. The bubbles will direct you to wear air leaving your tires.

How do tires get slashed?

There are numerous ways that tires get slashed. Here are some of the popular ways that tires get slashed.

1. You can slash tires with a knife

Knives are the commonest tools used to slash tires. You can either use a chef knife or a pocket knife. Pocket knives are usually preferable because they are easy to carry. Slashing tires happen so fast.

You don’t go about giving the tire an artistic cut. Nobody wants to get caught slashing a tire. Even though the action requires fast delivery, the process of slashing the tires matters.

For you to perfectly slash a tire with knives, you need enough pressure to drive it through.

Nevertheless, it is important that if you wish to get a tire slashed, don’t face the direction of the slash. This will prevent having your face meeting a great surge of pressure.

The force of the air that will rush through the tire might hurt your eyes. The type of tire that you wish to slash will depend on how easy it is to slash.

To get a tire slashed with a knife, locate the soft spot on the tire, hold the knife firmly, drive through it with enough energy. Try again if the knife doesn’t penetrate the tire.

2. Tires get slashed with nails

Slashing tires with nails is one of the traditional means of slashing tires. Slashing a tire with nails will not provide the immediate deflation effect as you will achieve slashing the same tires with a knife.

If you want to delay the damage on the tires of your victim, slashing with nails is the best option. It gives you ample time to leave the scene, without anyone noticing.

If done properly, it will become difficult to figure out if it was an intentional act or an accident. All you have to do is to align two or more nails beneath the target tires.

Place them in such a way that they will not roll over if the tire rides on them. To avoid the driver from noticing, place those nails under the tires, but in a way that they are facing the ground.

This will allow the nails to pierce straight through the tires immediately after he takes a ride.

How to tell if your tire was slashed

If you suspect that your tire has been slashed, here’s how you can identify the signs of tire damage:

One of the most obvious signs is a visible cut or puncture on the tire’s sidewall or tread area. A slashed tire will often have a clean, straight cut that goes all the way through the rubber, unlike a puncture from a nail or other sharp object that may leave a smaller hole.

In some cases, the cut may even extend into the inner liner of the tire.

For example, imagine that you leave your car parked on the street overnight and wake up to find that one of your tires has a long, straight cut on the sidewall.

This could be a sign that someone deliberately slashed your tire, possibly as an act of vandalism or theft.

Alternatively, if you notice that your tire is losing air slowly or that it’s difficult to steer or control your vehicle, this could also indicate a tire slash or other form of damage

Can a slashed tire be fixed?

Yes. You can fix a slashed tire. You can decide to patch the tires, or use sealants.

However, the level of damage done on the cars will determine if it is possible to fix.

With a tire sealant, you can apply the required quantity to the affected area of the tires.

I wouldn’t advise you to fix slashed tires except if you are in an emergency and you don’t have a replacement tire. Fixing slashes are usually seen as temporary repairs and support systems.

You shouldn’t take the risk of taking those slashed and repaired tires to the road. More importantly, the area of tire puncture also plays a great role.

You don’t need to replace a tire that has a cut on its sidewalls. Even after fixing the tire, you should know that the risk of having a tire failure remains.

How does tire blowout look like

A tire blowout is a jiggered blown-out disproportioned end of the tire. It is usually an outburst of air pressure.

The state of the blowout depends on the factors acting on it. A lot of times heat and temperature can cause a tire to blow out, just as an overloaded vehicle will have a tire blowout easily.

A tire blowout can start from looking like a minor uneven opening on the sidewalls of your tire or a big tear that leaves your car wheels bare.

No matter how it looks, you should be able to differentiate a blowout from a slashed tire.

Blowouts are not similar to minor cuts from stones or riding on glasses. Because of the impact of the blowout, the tires take a rough and raggedy form, with jagged edges.

What does tire blow out sound like

There is a first time for everything. You might have heard numerous stories about tires blowing out and you understand what a tire blowout sounds like. Is a tire blowout loud?

Yes, it is. Tire blowout likes a loud, big “boom” sound that can make the neighborhood mistake it for a gunshot.

If you are riding a car and your tire blows, the loud sound that it creates can send vibrations through your car.

This will lead to a swift deflation of the tires, with a flappy ride till you come to a stop.

The loud sound caused by a tire blowout is caused by the amount of air pressure leaving the tire in such circumstances.

Tire blowouts are the majorly excessive strain of the tires beyond their natural limit. This can come about as a result of excess heat, overload, or impact damage.

The sound of a tire blowout is the least of a driver’s worries. Your ability to control your car during a tire blowout is where the real work is.

This makes it important that drivers watch on your acceleration and shun the practice of driving with one hand. This helps you maintain full balance and control in the event of a blowout.

How does tire blowout happen?

Tire blowouts have certain factors that cause them. These factors also play a role in how the tire blowout happens.

Nevertheless, here are two popular causes of tire blowouts and how they happen.

1. Uneven terrain

Bad roads are one of the things that affect the state of tires. There is a higher probability that stones, debris, sharp marble, will damage your tire and cause a tire blowout if you are riding on a damaged road.

Your tires will blow out if you ride over a glass, nails, or any other object that can penetrate the tire.

In this case, the tire blowout might not necessarily give a loud boom sound but we will gradually delete depending on the intensity of the tire damage.

2. Overload

This is the time when the tire blowout announces its arrival. Exceeding the speed limit of your tires will cause wear and tear on your tires.

This will cause the tread pattern to start wearing out and eventually blow out. All tires might not blow out at the same time. The blowout will start from the tire with the most uneven tread pattern.

Can a tire blowout be fixed?

No, you cannot fix a tire blowout. Having a blown-out tire is not as minor as it seems. In some cases, your car wheels might also be affected.

Because of the level of damage inflicted on the blown-out tire, it is impossible to fix it.

Tire blowout leaves the tires entirely ripped apart. The only thing you can do after a blowout is to gradually park your car safely and change the tires if you have a replacement.

Do not make the mistake of trying to apply sealants on blowouts to manage the jagged edges. You will end up riding on bare wheels before you get to your destination.