As a vehicle owner I have come on contacts with technicians and majority of them in Nigeria doesn’t know the basic principles of physics and chemistry. These are the core sciences subjects that a vehicle manufacturers uses either for mechanics or pressures if car. Lately, we saw how Ocholi was killed in an accident, the major culprit was an over inflated tyre. Many people have been wondering what could be the cause of the incessant tyre burst accidents on Nigerian roads. The major cause is that we put too much pressure in our tyres.




Simple physics , hot air expands and when a car is in motion ,the air gets hots and it expands. If there is no allowance for expansion, then the tyre will give way or blow . So the best thing give allowance .The faster the tire is spinning on the ground, the more it is flexing, the more heat it is creating. Hot air takes up more space than cold air. When the air inside a tire gets too hot, it becomes “bigger” and causes the tire to explode. That is why a tire on your car is guaranteed to a certain speed.

Usually, tyre failure comes from a combination of stress and heat. Low tire pressure + an injury to the tire + high speed will do the trick, mainly because low tire pressure means the tire does not keep its shape and the excessive flexing while rotating causes lots of heat and deformation. However, without knowing the exact. Usually overinflating tires by 10psi / 70 kPa is no big deal since the recommended pressure is often well below the maximum sidewall pressure, which is high and may make the ride unsmooth but will most likely not cause the tires to burst.

tyre-burst
For saloon and sedan cars the Psi isn’t more than 30 – 45. The front tyres shouldn’t exceed the manufactures limit . If for instance the back tyre is 45 psi the front tyres shouldn’t exceed 40 psi . The reason is that the front tyre carry a bigger weight which is the engine and the gear system and there should be allowance for a higher level of air expansion in motion. Unless it’s a car that has its engine behind.


I was preparing for a journey, I changed some of my tyres and I asked the vulcanizer that ‘what is the recommended tyre pressure?’ He said 50. I said alright, he should inflate it to 50 all round.

When I got to where I was going, I was discussing with some people on the issue of the minister that died on the road due to a burst tyre and wonder what could have happened because nobody could imagine a minister would be travelling with expired tyres as many would think is the major cause of tyre bursts.
A man (lived in US for many years) said that the major cause of tyre burst in Nigeria is that we put too much pressure in our tyres and that each car has recommended tyre size and pressure clearly written on it by the manufacturer.
I was surprised and begged him to come and show me where it’s written on my car. To my greatest surprise, it’s by the drivers door which I enter everyday without noticing it.By the time we checked, the recommended pressure for my tyres is 32! and I just traveled with tyres on a pressure of 50! He took me round his compound and showed me that of the cars (which includes a jeep and a sienna) there, the highest was 32. Some were even 29!

He further explained that tyres are made of rubber and expand at high temperature. So, when you are travelling in the afternoon when the asphalt on the road is hot, the tyre will want to expand. If the pressure in the tyre is too much and wouldn’t accommodate the expansion, a burst is likely to happen at that time.

Pls check the recommended tyre pressure for your vehicle and others you know


and we are also in a tropical hot enviroment

https://etimesafrica./2016/11/15/tyre-burst-in-nigeria-important-information-to-all-vehicle-users/

You are not far from the truth but it is wrong. If your tyre is overinflated, the first sign is that the tyre will have a swollen sidewall whenever there is any impact with a kerb or pothole. The major reason for burst tyres in Nigeria is fitting winter and lower temperature tyres on our vehicles. Even the speed rating index is also another factor. Ocholi's jeep was fitted with a T rating which is also temperature b and on a hot sunny days is very suicidal.