Is it normal for 25 persons to die due to a tyre burst?

A horrific bus accident took place today near Pune which was attributed to a tyre burst, due to which 25 persons lost their lives. We often come across similar incidences attributed to the tyre burst involving not only buses and trucks but also cars and more so, SUVs.

It is my perception that in India, the cases of tyre burst leading to fatal accident are very high and need investigation and remedial actions, which reminds me of the FORD - BRIDGESTONE law suit of 1990s and various actions that the US Government, the vehicle manufacturers and the tyre manufacturers took.

Besides, the legal battle coupled with huge financial impact ended the personal relationship between the Bridgestone and Ford families, spanning back over a 100 years, as William Clay Ford, then Chairman of Ford Motor Company was not only a Great Grand Son of Henry Ford, but also Great Grand Son of Harvey Firestone and led to closure of several plants and labour unrest.

In 1990, there was a spate of fatal accidents that involved Ford Explorers fitted with Bridgestone tyres. Reportedly 238 persons lost their lives and over 500 were seriously wounded in USA alone, with several more deaths outside USA. Although each company blamed the other, the investigators came to the conclusion that there was something un-usual about the high rate of fatal incidences involving a particular combination of vehicle and the tyre.

It was concluded that the treads of the Bridgestone tyres used to separate from the tyre carcass when installed on Ford Explorer. Ford claimed that the tyres were defective while Bridgestone claimed that the tyres designed for lighter vehicles were used on heavier vehicles designed for off road use.

The investigation led the US Congress to pass the?Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation Act?

A tubeless tyre rarely has a catastrophic failure caused by a puncture due to penetration of small objects such as nails. One gets enough warning that the vehicle is becoming unstable and can stop safely.

A catastrophic tyre bursts are generally attributable to causes such as not maintaining correct tyre pressure or use of a damaged / worn out tyre, and / or overloading in combination with the above factors.

In case of an accident attributed to tyre burst, it is easy to find out the cause of the tyre burst, except when the tyre has burnt due to subsequent fire. It is important to hold the responsible person accountable if the tyre was not properly maintained, or a wrong tyre was installed or a damaged tyre was in use

Preventive measures such as tyre pressure monitoring systems are now easily available and can be made mandatory at least for the public service vehicles and it is expected that the owners of private vehicles will act in their own interest.

Recently, the Bombay High Court has also ruled that a tyre burst is not an "Act Of God", but an act of negligence.

Let us stop taking such accidents as "Fait Accompli" and initiate some preventive measures which will avert such incidences.