Can You Drive With A Nail In Your Tire- Is It Risky?
It is quite common to get your tire nailed on the road. If the day is bad, you might even have a punctured tire causing further complications.
However, can you drive with a nail in your tire when it’s not punctured? In short, no, you should not keep on driving at all. Though for a certain time, you will be able to drive, in a short moment, it will cause an unbalanced control and an accident.
This begs more questions into the topic like, how long will you be able to drive the car with a nail on? Are there any consequences? Well, definitely, there are. You will find all the answers in the below section. So without any further ado, let’s get into it!
Can You Drive With A Nail In Your Tire?
There are two scenarios you might come across. Either the nail can sharply strike the tire so that the air does not get the time to leak. In the other scenario, it can immediately puncture the tire.
If the tire doesn’t leak, you will be able to drive for a very short time, but it would be risky. As the air does not get leaked immediately, it earns some time. Consequently, within a very short period, the tire will flatten.
If you continue driving in that condition, you might even lose your balance. Moreover, the wheels can also get affected by abrasion. All these can reduce the life of the wheel. Also, if you have a TPMS system, it can get broken.
Now, if the tire is punctured right away, you can not drive the car at all. You need a quick fix.
Is It Safe To Drive With A Nail In Your Tire?
Though you can drive, it is not safe to drive with a nail in your tire. There are a lot of dangers involved when you keep on driving a car with nails on.
Though after a few miles, the tire will lose its capacity to hold the air, it can also become too late to know. As wheels might get dragged and get you into an accident.
Not just will the tire puncture, but the wheels can get damaged as well. Moreover, losing control can lead to damage to the bumper and front part of the car. As a result, costing you a fortune.
The Signs Of A Punctured Tire
It is quite difficult to know if the tire is fine unless it is flattened. But there are some indications that can help you to know about the condition of the tire. The following signs can help you here.
Low Air Pressure
When the nail strongly gets set on the tire, it prevents the air from leaking but not completely. Within a few moments, the air pressure will become low as it will be diffusing.
Soon the tire will become flat. Before that, if you have a TPMS system, it can identify the condition of the tire and will let you know.
Not Able To Accelerate
As the tire continues to become flat, accelerating would not work at all. First, accelerating might appear slow, and at some point, there is no change. The accelerator would feel heavy and cause the car to stop.
Noise
When the air gets out of the tire, obviously, that would create a whooshing noise. Apart from that, if the wheels come in contact with the road, they can slide and cause noise. The crashing noise can get severe if you try to speed up.
Moreover, if the wheels also get damaged severely, it can take more cost to repair.
What To Do If The Tire Has A Nail On It?
You should take the car to the service center to fix the tire. Well, you can either replace or repair it depending on the degree of damage. If the nail has caused slight damage, you can repair it with a plug or patch.
When the tire is completely flattened, you need to change it.
If you are willing to change the tire by yourself, follow the video below to replace the tire within a short time. Just make sure you have extra tires ready.
Tire Fixations Cost
After finding the nail, you can proceed to fixes. If you do it by yourself, it can cost less. But you need to buy the tools beforehand. Also, sometimes service centers can charge a hefty amount for fixes.
Here’s an idea about the tire fixation cost.
| Fixes | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tire replacement | $100-$800 |
| Tire repair (patch) | $10-$30 |
| Tire repair (plug) | $20-$30 |
FAQs
Let’s through some basic questions that are asked by you all regarding driving with the nail on the tire.
No, you should remove the nail from the tire as soon as possible. Or else it can get flattened anytime and cause further damage.
Well, it depends on where the nail is. If the sidewall and shoulder are affected, you have to change the tire. For the tread area, you can repair the tire according to the need.
The repaired tire can last up to 7 to 10 years. Well, there is still some risk left, as continuous abrasion can lower the life of the tire.
Bottom Line
Overall, ensuring safe driving is a must while you are on the road. So, can you drive with a nail in your tire? It can be not only unsafe but also deadly. Because nails can flatten the tire right away or take some time. Meanwhile, neglecting the damage can bring misfortune.
Even though you don’t want to spend your money and drive a little more, your safety can become questionable till then. Now it’s on you, what do you want to prioritize more? Well, everyone picks safety here. So don’t be hesitant when it comes to damaged tires.
