Is it worth it to file a report over a knifed tire?

Dorkman

I woke up this morning and in my stupor, drove about half way to school before I released that one of my tires are completely flat. Upon getting out to inspect it, I notice two very long cuts down the sidewall of my tire. Upon taking it off, I notice two smaller cuts directly opposite the larger ones on the inside sidewall. My first inclination is that they got knifed, but my god that seems like a hell of a knife.

Either way, is this something worth reporting? I doubt it would ever be taken seriously, and I just suspect that an officer would come out, take my statement and I would never hear anything of it again. I fully expect to have to replace this out of my own pocket anyway.

Advice?

bowen

Report it, because with enough reports cops will patrol the area where you live. For all you know this could keep happening.

Sevorak

If incidents like this keep happening, you will be glad you have a record of them from the start. There's really no reason not to report it.

Noxy

Report it. It helps police know which areas need more patrol time/attention.

bowen

Also, some insurances cover these 100%, similar to windshields. Meaning no deductible and no increase in premiums.

Dorkman

I got the basic of the basic concerning insurance. But that is something worth looking into.

Again I am not sure if this is a cut tire. But I honestly can't think of any circumstance outside of this that could have happened. Unless I ran over Sonic or something...

matt has a problem

Driving on a flat tire can damage it pretty easily, the lip of the rim will cut into it unless you have runflats. The tire could've just gone flat from a nail or something, and driving caused the splits.

Dorkman

No, it's two vertical cuts from almost the tread to the rim

Although, now that you do mention it..This could be all my mess up. But what would explain similar damage to the other side of it.

bowen

I doubt your tires were deflated long enough for that to be an issue.

Dorkman

Looking at it again it may be true. I did drive close to 2 KM on them potentially flat. And some of the cuts have pieces missing. It's not as clean cut as I had originally thought, as it seems more fagged.

They were not the newest of tires to begin with and had sat outside all summer.

Forbe!

matthasaproblem wrote: »

Driving on a flat tire can damage it pretty easily, the lip of the rim will cut into it unless you have runflats. The tire could've just gone flat from a nail or something, and driving caused the splits.

If it matters, I've changed/sold tires for nearly 5 years of my life.

Yes, driving on a flat can damage it pretty easily, but not in the form of two crisp cuts in the tire sidewall.

This is what a slashed tire looks like.

Driving on them for 2 KM flat will probably not do sidewall damage. Driving on a flat tire will cause a circular ring to appear on the sidewall near the tread (where the sidewall is being pinched by the weight).

This is all from my experience. If your tires were dry-rotted enough they could have split without even being flat.

Dorkman

Well, police report is in. Thanks for the direction guys.

Now my only regret is that I am not american to take advantage of Tirerack.com.

Casually Hardcore

I never once seen a rim cut through a tire due to overuse while being flat. The main concern about driving a car with inadequate air pressure is the heat build up from the constant rubbing. The heat will eventually melt the tire, and the tire will fall apart

Doc

Dorkman wrote: »

Looking at it again it may be true. I did drive close to 2 KM on them potentially flat. And some of the cuts have pieces missing. It's not as clean cut as I had originally thought, as it seems more fagged.

So you're saying you're into bears?

Dorkman

Doc wrote: »

Dorkman wrote: »

Looking at it again it may be true. I did drive close to 2 KM on them potentially flat. And some of the cuts have pieces missing. It's not as clean cut as I had originally thought, as it seems more fagged.

So you're saying you're into bears?

I am saying I really need to learn to construct a coherent thought. Jeepers.

I went out and looked at the tire some more after the police left and I do honestly think most of the damage was caused by driving on it.

We both agreed on where the culprits did their damage as it was a very clean cut. However the other gash on the sidewall is almost half an inch in thickness. Now unless these fellows decided it would be a swell idea to cut my tire, and then hack away a significant portion away so that I could not patch it up. If so, Kudos to them!

Furthermore when I looked more closely at the back, it seems there are a few more cuts opened up on the tire that are nowhere near the others.

Either way this is all a moot point.

JohnnyCache

Casually Hardcore wrote: »

I never once seen a rim cut through a tire due to overuse while being flat. The main concern about driving a car with inadequate air pressure is the heat build up from the constant rubbing. The heat will eventually melt the tire, and the tire will fall apart

I think he means when you lose a tire at speed and the rim cuts it in a circle. I've had this happen to me in very pronounced fashion.

How old is your tire? And why don't you walk around your car before you get in it?

Dorkman

JohnnyCache wrote: »

Casually Hardcore wrote: »

I never once seen a rim cut through a tire due to overuse while being flat. The main concern about driving a car with inadequate air pressure is the heat build up from the constant rubbing. The heat will eventually melt the tire, and the tire will fall apart

I think he means when you lose a tire at speed and the rim cuts it in a circle. I've had this happen to me in very pronounced fashion.

How old is your tire? And why don't you walk around your car before you get in it?

A.) I was in a hurry to get to school to pass in an assignment by 8:30

B.) Sure doing a walk around is good practice, but who honestly gives their car a spot check each and everytime they get in their car. My father and I had just put these winter tires on (albiet they were a couple seasons old, but still good tread). I drove an hour on them, and check the air pressure that evening to ensure no slow leaks. As far as I could tell things were peachy.

I will try to get a picture tonight of the tire to show what I am talking about.

Ruckus

Dorkman wrote: »

JohnnyCache wrote: »

Casually Hardcore wrote: »

I never once seen a rim cut through a tire due to overuse while being flat. The main concern about driving a car with inadequate air pressure is the heat build up from the constant rubbing. The heat will eventually melt the tire, and the tire will fall apart

I think he means when you lose a tire at speed and the rim cuts it in a circle. I've had this happen to me in very pronounced fashion.

How old is your tire? And why don't you walk around your car before you get in it?

A.) I was in a hurry to get to school to pass in an assignment by 8:30

B.) Sure doing a walk around is good practice, but who honestly gives their car a spot check each and everytime they get in their car. My father and I had just put these winter tires on (albiet they were a couple seasons old, but still good tread). I drove an hour on them, and check the air pressure that evening to ensure no slow leaks. As far as I could tell things were peachy.

I will try to get a picture tonight of the tire to show what I am talking about.

If possible, park so your driver's side is opposite to the side from which you normally approach. That way you get a look at the passenger side and one end on the way to the vehicle and walk the far way around the vehicle to get in, giving you a view of both the other end and the driver's side. For me that means backing in to the west side of my driveway, and when I leave in the morning I approach from the east, giving me the view of rear and passenger side, then I circle around the front to reach the driver side.