Is it possible to ride with a nail in the wheel if the tire holds pressure?

A punctured tire found on the way is a rather common situation: we change the spare tire and go to the tire service. However, it also happens that a nail or some self-tapping screw sits firmly in the tire, however, despite this, it does not go down. Very often, the motorist does not even know this at all, and continues to operate his car, as if nothing had happened. However, how safe is it? We will talk about this in this article.

In fact, when a nail, a self-tapping screw or some other metal object enters the tire with a sharp end, almost completely obscuring the hole and completely covering it with its hat, then further actions can occur in several possible ways. The first option is the most successful when the wheel goes down very quickly, and the driver detects this no later than the next day. In this case, the driver himself does not need to repair anything, but you just need to drive to a car service.

The second scenario is if the iron object is fixed in the tire so firmly and reliably that the air is released extremely weakly and inconspicuously. The car will continue to move without a problem with a punched tire (a rather long period), until the pressure drop in the wheel is noticeable. This is a completely unfavorable version of events, since it can end with the third possible scenario - the most risky of all. It is always necessary to consider that in the process of movement the tire can “catch” even the smallest pothole or bump, during which the nail can suddenly change its own direction, and then the pressure in the wheel will rapidly decrease with the sound of an exploding shell. The higher the speed limit, the more disgusting the road surface and the older the rubber, the greater the likelihood of realizing this worst case scenario, which does not exclude a serious accident with tragic results for people's lives.

Based on the foregoing, the following conclusion can be made: as often as possible, inspect the tires of your own car for such flaws, especially after driving along village roads, as well as after long and long trips. This action can be done on your own, drove your car on a lift or on the "hole", or by performing a diagnostic procedure in the nearest tire service. Therefore, when on a trip you saw a nail in a tire, then change the spare tire as quickly as possible and go to the nearest tire service. Do not pay attention to some fictitious stories of individual experienced drivers (with great driving skills) about how they for many years moved without problems with a nail, self-tapping screw, screw, or other metal object that was previously stuck in their tire. Always bear in mind that even when the self-tapping screw is in the tire as tight as possible, then this is also fraught with unpleasant consequences for the car itself and for the health of all people in it.