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One of the leading cause of tire failure is underinflation. Driving in hot weather at highway speeds for long periods will cause the tire to overheat, causing ruptured sidewalls due to the degradation of the rubber or even tread separation. I once passed a BMW on the highway coming up from Los Angeles. Just as I was passing, there was a pop and the tread of the rear left tire of the BMW separated and started rolling towards my car and past the BMW. Had to gun it to get away from it. The BMW driver managed to pull over safely. Make sure your tires are always properly inflated according to the recommended pressures for the different load scenarios. In my AMG I usually keep the tire pressure/temperature screen up in my instrument cluster, so I always see what's going on with the tires. Not just pressures, but also their temperatures.
Are low profile sidewall tires more susceptible to rupture?
They certainly are more susceptible to road hazards that could lead to ruptures. Shorter sidewalls means less buffer for large impacts. The wheels are also more susceptible to cracking as they are not as well protected as by tires with taller sidewalls.
One of the leading cause of tire failure is underinflation. Driving in hot weather at highway speeds for long periods will cause the tire to overheat, causing ruptured sidewalls due to the degradation of the rubber or even tread separation. I once passed a BMW on the highway coming up from Los Angeles. Just as I was passing, there was a pop and the tread of the rear left tire of the BMW separated and started rolling towards my car and past the BMW. Had to gun it to get away from it. The BMW driver managed to pull over safely. Make sure your tires are always properly inflated according to the recommended pressures for the different load scenarios. In my AMG I usually keep the tire pressure/temperature screen up in my instrument cluster, so I always see what's going on with the tires. Not just pressures, but also their temperatures.
Proper inflation is the key, as you point out, and realtime monitoring when driving is adverse conditions is good advice. Altitude and braking are considerations as well. I've never lost an automobile tire, but I ripped a bicycle tire when braking during descent from a 10,000 foot summit.
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