Paladin
Craig HillWhy Space Savers are Unsafe
July 17th 2006 23:30
Too many ‘compact’ cars nowadays are equipped with “space savers” as their spare tyres. Space Savers are tyres with an incredibly small diameter and width designed with saving space and weight when it comes to small vehicles.
Space Saver tyres are incredibly dangerous to the driver and passenger of the vehicle as well as other cars on the road. Motorists must remember that the only things holding you to the road is your 4 wheels and tyres. Having a smaller wheel and tyre will greatly affect the vehicle’s overall stability and grip whilst driving. Particularly when cornering!
All the Space Saver tyres I have seen are marked with cautions telling the driver not to exceed 80km/s and rightly so. By having a smaller width of tyre, you have less contact with the road and are more prone to an uncontrollable loss of traction with the car. If you don’t completely understand, the dangers can be demonstrated by going to the extreme. Let’s say you put a bicycle tyre on your car, imagine what will happen then!
I suggest if you do happen to have a car with a space saver and do need to use it, get into a tyre store as soon as possible and get your normal wheel repaired/replaced. If the flat is on front tyre then exchange one of your rear tyres with it and use the space saver for the rear – to save yourself from understeering in corners.
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