When car accidents happen, most people rush to blame other road users, road conditions, weather and such like things. It is true that these are all factors that cause road accidents on a daily basis. However, some accidents are caused by mechanical failures—things that you can avoid by properly servicing your car. Check out the following issues that might land you in a car accident.

Under-inflated Tires

According to Consumer Reports, if your car's tires are under-inflated by at least 25%, then you are three times as likely to get involved in an auto crash versus another motorist with properly inflated tires. One reason for this is that under-inflated tires are likely to overheat and fail, especially if driven at high speeds in hot weather. Moreover, such tire failures are sudden and provide very brief recovery times.

Worn Tires

Worn tires increase the risk of accidents, whether they are properly inflated or not. The main reason for this is reduced traction between the tire and the road, which becomes even riskier in wet conditions.

When a tire with good tread hits a puddle, most of the water enters the grooves between the treads and the tread themselves continue to provide traction. When the tire is worn, the grooves get shallow and cannot handle puddles. A film of water then forms between the tire and the road, which means the tires will just be skimming the road's surface. Losing control in such a situation is very easy, especially when you try to accelerate, brake, or negotiate a corner.

Damaged Wheel Bearing

Wheel bearings, especially on newer vehicles, are designed to withstand prolonged use without any maintenance. Of course, that is only possible under normal driving conditions.

Unfortunately, you may find yourself driving in "abnormal" conditions such as deep mud. When this happens, the contaminants can enter into the sealed bearing assembly and cause bearing failure. It is not just contaminants that you have to worry about; even extreme driving (high speed, sudden braking/accelerating or even overloading) can also wear out your bearings. Driving with damaged bearings is dangerous because they can suddenly fail and cause loss of the affected wheels.

Take care of your wheels, and they will take care of you on the road. It doesn't matter whether it is something you can do on your own (such as inflating your tires properly) or something better done by your mechanic (such as servicing your wheel assembly). The main thing is to service your car by professionals like Mid-Atlantic Muffler & Brake and leave nothing to chance.

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