Tyre flat-spotting: what is it and how to prevent it?
Tyre flat-spotting: what is it?
Tyre flat-spotting occurs when a vehicle’s tyre has been stationary for a prolonged period: the tyre is subjected to the load of the vehicle it is supporting; thus, causing its ground contact area to slightly flatten.
This experience is not a situation you need to worry about. Tyre flat-spotting is completely normal and unavoidable. It manifests itself as a slight vibration at the beginning of a journey, which disappears quite quickly most of the time.
Temporary or semi-permanent tyre flat-spotting?
There are two types of flat-spot tyres: temporary and semi-permanent. In most cases, a temporary flat spot occurs on the tyre after standing for a prolonged period (from a few days to several weeks). It disappears after driving only a few minutes and is not associated with any particular danger.
Semi-permanent tyre flat-spotting occurs after a complete standstill of at least four weeks. It can be aggravated if your car has had to withstand an additional weight load for a longer duration of time. This situation should not be taken lightly, as flat-spot tyres have a significantly higher chance of puncturing when driving.
Our expert advice: If your tyre shows signs of flat-spotting, make an appointment to service your car at a garage immediately. If it is not possible right away, change the tyres as quickly as possible to avoid irrevocable damage.
Factors that aggravate tyre flat-spotting
Different factors can aggravate tyre flat-spotting. The most important are:
- Your vehicle has been stationary for a long period of several weeks or several months.
- Your vehicle was exposed to considerable temperature fluctuations while parked.
- Your vehicle is exposed to particularly low temperatures regularly.
- Your vehicle’s tyre pressure is too high or too low.
Good to know: The vast majority of insurance policies do not cover this type of damage. However, it is possible to obtain optional insurance for tyre damage. In most cases, this additional option only covers punctures. In some cases, the insurance will cover tyre replacements if the tyres have been severely damaged. Therefore, choose your insurance coverage carefully.
The right actions to prevent flat tyres
You can take several actions to reduce or even completely prevent your tyres from going flat after leaving a vehicle parked for a long period.
Check your tyre pressure before starting the car. It must not be lower than the car manufacturer’s minimum recommended threshold. You can even increase this pressure up to 0.2 bars if you wish. Next, make sure your car does not contain any elements that could cause unnecessary overloading and place additional pressure on the tyres. Finally, we recommend that you drive your car more often, at least every fortnight. This way, the pressure points on the tyres will fluctuate.
Good to know: A flat tyre is not the only problem you may experience after leaving a vehicle stationary for too long. The rubber on the surface can also become damaged if it comes in contact with corrosive substances for too long, such as oil or hydrocarbons. Therefore, choose your parking place carefully.
Flat tyres are an unavoidable occurrence when you don’t use your vehicle for a long period. You only need to take a few simple measures to avoid or prevent flats from becoming permanent: You can significantly reduce the risk of flat tyres and tyre damage by reducing the vehicle load on the tyres. Parking your car in a clean place and driving it for a few minutes every fortnight will also be helpful.
