In the spring of 2023, the Swedish Tire Safety Council conducted a study on experiences with losing wheels on the car you are traveling in.
If the survey is representative, it indicates that 900 traffic accidents occur each year due to incorrectly performed tire changes.
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Totally unnecessary accidents
– These accidents happen completely unnecessarily and could be prevented with better knowledge and working methods. It’s about doing the right thing when changing the tyre, for example keeping it clean, tightening it just right and checking that bolts or nuts are seated correctly after 5 to 10 miles of driving, says Cecilia Blom Hesselgren at Bilprovningen.
Even Peter Norlin at the Association of Tire, Rim and Accessory Suppliers points out the importance of rechecking, and points out that it is important not to tighten the wheel bolts too tightly.
– The most important advice is to check that the wheel is sitting properly a few miles after the tire change. Then you can also compensate for any errors that may have occurred during assembly. Many call it over-tightening, but it’s not about tightening as hard as possible, but about checking that bolts or nuts are properly tightened, says Peter Norlin.
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Often workshops that miss
As you can imagine, more accidents related to tire changes occur when a private person has performed the change, but a surprisingly large percentage of accidents occur after the change is performed by professionals.
Lasse Dahlqvist at Däckspecialisternas Riksförbund believes that stress and the short changeover time in the spring play a role in workshops making mistakes.
In Sweden, requirements for winter road conditions prevail until March 31, while studded tires are prohibited from March 16 if winter road conditions do not prevail.
– The short shift time of only two weeks in the spring does not only affect those who work in the tire workshops, who have a very difficult working situation, it also causes it for the customers. Partly it can be difficult to get the wheels changed on time, partly the stress in the workshops increases the risk of mistakes, says Lasse Dahlqvist.
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High risk of injury
A wheel that falls off a moving car can pose quite a traffic hazard, but the risk of the car itself being damaged is also great.
According to the survey, six out of ten affected cars sustained damage, four of which sustained minor damage while two sustained serious damage and required towing.
– Lost wheels can mean big costs for motorists and insurance companies. Although the survey shows relatively few cases of serious personal injury, there is an increased risk of people being injured. Partly the driver can lose control, partly the loose wheel can go off and hit someone else, says Anders Ydenius at the insurance company Folksam.
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