Many people wonder if driving over a glass would mess up their tires. I bet you are one of them. So, does running over a glass of beer bottle damage your tires?
Running over a glass of beer bottle does not pose significant damage to your tires. As most car owners agree, glass from beer bottles is not strong enough to penetrate the tire’s tread and the steel belt under it. However, if you drive almost wholly worn-out tires and the piece of glass is triangular and is very sharp, it may still blow up your tire.
Avoid running over a broken beer bottle or any glass when you can. I would say that that is part of being a responsible vehicle owner and driver.
However, no matter how careful you are when driving, there are just instances that you accidentally run over a surface with broken glasses, and this will get you worried. Read on to learn further about this topic.
Can You Get a Flat Tire from Running Over Broken Glass Beer Bottle?
As pointed out in the beginning, it is unlikely that a piece of broken glass can penetrate the tire. Most tires today feature steel belts, and if this is the type of tire you have on your vehicle, the worst case that could happen is the glass tears the rubber.
We need to recognize that tire manufacturers have embraced steel belt technology since the mid-1970s. With this fact, I am pretty sure that your tire is strong enough to resist damages from broken glass.
So, is it safe to drive over broken glass on the road? Well, I would still insist that it isn’t safe.
I am not contradicting the point that broken glass will not cause significant tire damage. My point is, there is still a chance that your tire will get damaged from running over broken glass. Thus, better play it safe.
However, as far as answering whether broken glass will cause a flat tire, the answer is very seldom. The chance of getting a flat tire from running over broken glass is very slim.
If you want to hear more about this from people’s actual experiences, check out this forum. Another thread also talks about it, and it might give you more insights.
Possible Tire Damage Due to Running over Broken Glass
As you have been reading, it appears that running over glass does not do immediate damage to your tires, well, at least very seldom. But as I mentioned, you need to avoid it as much as possible because there is still a slim chance it will.
We talked about the glass not being able to penetrate the steel belt of your tire, and this can be true. I looked online could hardly find a reference that someone got a flat tire because of broken glass on the road.
However, running over broken glass can potentially affect the integrity of your tires. The worst that glass will do to your tires is cut them up to the steel belt. If this happens, it will cause an issue in the long run.
If the glass manages to cut open your tire, the chances of it blowing up are very high because other strong objects can now directly hit the cut part and do easy damage. Water and road chemicals such as road salt can also cause corrosion on the exposed steel belts.
If a piece of glass manages to get inside the tread of the tire and gets stuck there for an extended period, it will eventually harm your tire in the long run. Since it penetrates the tire’s tread, it may penetrate its steel belt in the long run.
Additionally, if the glass manages to reach the sidewalls of your tires, you can have a problem. It can cause a hole in the tire’s sidewall. Then again, the chance is very slim. Shatterproof type of glass may do this to your tire.
What to Do if You Ran Over Broken Glass on the Road
When you run over broken glass, you must check your tires when you get home. Do not be very confident that everything is fine. See if the incident caused some cuts on your tires that may affect their integrity.
If you find some severe cuts, take your vehicle to a repair shop and have your tire cured as needed. You need to do this, especially if you see that the wound was deep and possibly reached the tire’s steel belt.
When checking your tires, you need to look at every angle. Sift through the tread area so that you will not miss any possible issues. If you did not find any problem, you could have peace of mind. The only thing you need to do next is to avoid broken glass on the road to cast you away from worries.
What to Do When You See Broken Glass on the Road
The best advice I can give you is to avoid it. Yes, avoid it as much as you can. Do not be stupid to intentionally run over broken glass on the road. Although it may not cause immediate blowups, it may still affect the integrity of your tires in the long run.
Thus, avoiding broken glass is a wise thing to do when you roll on the road.
What about if broken glass is all over the road and there is no chance to avoid it? Would you get down your car and clean the road before passing? That can be a stupid scene to watch.
If you see that other drivers have decided to run over the broken glass, you can follow them, but you must check your tires when you get home.
If you want to avoid running over the broken glass, see if you could find some alternative or diversion road. If there is an alternative road, take it for you to have peace of mind.
I want to clarify: Never swerve or brake suddenly when you encounter broken glass on the road. This action is the most stupid thing you can do. Swerving or heavy and immediate braking can cause accidents. Would you instead get into an accident because of avoiding broken glass?
The key is to avoid it when you have a safe chance to do it. Slow down gradually. If you need to switch lanes, do it with extra precautions and use your signal lights.
Related: Goodyear Wrangler SR-A Review
Common Types of Broken Glass You See on the Road
The presence of broken glass on the road is inevitable. The common types of glass you see on the road are beer bottles or any other bottles, windshield glass, and head or tail light glass.
Bottles
Beer bottles or any other type of beverage bottles are among the everyday mess you see on the road. Some irresponsible people do not put the bottle of their drinks in the bin.
This type of glass is a little brittle. It can easily break when the vehicle’s tire runs over it. The good news is, this type of glass is not very dangerous for your tire.
This video shows what happens when you run over a bottle on the road. Observe and see how it works.
Windshield Glass
This glass is another type of debris that you typically see on the road. Accidents can usually cause broken windshields, and street cleaners may miss some broken pieces or have not cleaned the area yet.
This type of glass is also a little brittle and will less likely cause immediate damage to your tires. Still, do a visual check of your tires to ensure that no piece of this glass gets stuck in the treads that could cause future damage.
Head/Tail Light Glass
Similar to windshield glass, this type of glass could scatter on the road after an accident. In other scenarios, this glass could also voluntarily fall off its sockets due to road vibrations.
Like the others, it does not pose an immediate danger to your tires as they aren’t strong enough to pass through the steel belt of your tires. But they can potentially cut your tire, so avoid them still if you can.
Conclusion
Running over a glass beer bottle or any other glass can be inevitable. If this happens, it does not give your tires immediate danger. It does not cause your tires to blow up.
Your tires feature steel belts that glass could hardly penetrate, preventing it from blowing up when a glass manages to cut through the tread. So, if you encounter a sharp glass, it is likely that it will only wound your tire up to the steel belt.
If you see glass on the road, safely avoid it when you can. Never compromise your safety by swerving or braking suddenly. If you happen to run over a glass, do some visual check of your tire.
If you see some cuts, see if it needs repair. A wound that reaches the tire’s steel belt can cause corrosion and can affect your tire’s integrity in the long run.