Last Updated November 25, 2022
TireHungry.com is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no added cost to you
The ability to determine whether or not your tire has been slashed can be tough. You must examine the type of wound on your tire to determine whether or not it was caused by deliberate activity on your part. You can also search the surrounding area for any sharp objects that match the size of the hole in your tire.
Following victimization, you might consider installing a spy camera in your vehicle to record any future incidences. This camera will assist you in presenting evidence to the authorities in order to apprehend the person who committed the crime.
What's In This Guide?
The sidewall of a tire is a typical target for vandals since it is exposed to the elements. The sidewall of the tire is the thinnest part of the tire, and a sharp item such as a screwdriver or a Swiss knife can be used to easily penetrate it by the offender.
Given that you are aware of the fact that you have not traveled on an off-road trail or driven on a road that is littered with debris, or that you have not encountered any potholes or curbs, you have the right to suspect that someone may have purposefully slashed your tire. This tire’s tread section presents significant difficulty to cut due to its thickness, and it would require a significant amount of force to break through it.
Take a Look at How the Damage AppearsIt might be difficult to tell the difference between damage caused by an accident and damage caused by vandalism on your tire. In some cases, it is difficult to tell if the tire slash is caused by a pressure crack or was done purposely.
You can tell if the tool used to slash the tire is a knife since the cut is straight and smooth on the tire, which makes it easy to identify.
Most road debris-induced scratches do not follow a straight line.
Multiple efforts may be necessary for some instances, particularly if the person slashing the tire is not a professional. The likelihood of vandalism is high if you notice numerous scratches or efforts to punch through the tire.
Look Around the Area for Any Sharp ObjectsCriminals are capable of making mistakes from time to time. You’ve certainly heard horror stories from your co-drivers about someone slashing their tire and then leaving the prick or nail that they used in the process in the area. If you come across a sharp object that corresponds to the wound on your tire, that may be enough to indicate that you were a victim.
A victim recalls one case in which a thief left a knife on the tire of a friend’s car, which she witnessed. It was a traumatic experience for her, and she decided to install a covert camera to prevent similar events in the future. That never happened again is a good thing.
If you have a flat tire and you assume that it was the result of slashing, talk to several persons in the vicinity who may have witnessed the occurrence and get their perspective. If you are able to locate some witnesses, you should contact the authorities in order to file an initial police report.
Try to recall if you have ever had any personal conflicts with someone who you believe may have committed this act. If you don’t know anyone, it’s likely that it was just a random act of vandalism committed at a random location.
Look for CCTV FootageCCTV cameras can be found almost anywhere these days. If you have reason to believe that your flat tire was caused by slashing, walk around the location where you parked your vehicle and check for a surveillance camera. If you come across one, you can approach the person who owns the camera and request to see the recording.
Due to the fact that CCTV recordings are considered personal property, CCTV owners typically do not release their recordings.
However, with the appropriate approach, you may be able to gain a chance to see it. When you explain that you are doing this for your own safety because the person who did this to you might do something else horrific, it will be more effective.
When you slash a tire, you’ll either hear a tremendous popping sound or something like a zipper sound. If the opening is large enough to accommodate the pouring air, it may cause the tire to blow up, resulting in a popping sound.
Using a little sharp object such as a nail, on the other hand, the criminal may produce a zipper sound, which may either cause the tire to blow up or cause it to progressively deflate until all air has been expelled from the tire. It is possible that you will not hear the distinctive slashing sound if the individual who is cutting uses a strategy to reduce or remove the sound in some instances.
When a Slashed Tire Deflates, How Long Does It Take?It doesn’t take long for a slashed tire to lose its air pressure.
Using a knife, the tire can collapse in a matter of seconds especially if the slashed part pries open. It may even go flat on the spot if the slicing causes the tire to blow out during the process.
Depending on the size of the hole, slashing a tire with a small sharp tool such as a nail or a prick may take an entire night or many days to complete. If the hole is only a few millimeters in diameter, it will only cause a slow leak, which will make it take longer for the tire to go flat.
Is it Possible to Get Insurance Coverage for Slashed Tires?Basic insurance often provides coverage for bodily injury, medical or personal injury protection, and responsibility for property damage. As a result, a cut tire does not fit within the scope of this definition.
Comprehensive insurance, on the other hand, offers additional coverage, such as collision coverage and coverage for accidents that are not related to driving. Given that this is a case of vandalism, a slashed tire might be classified as a non-driving occurrence.
Consequently, if you have comprehensive insurance, you will not have to worry about obtaining a slashed tire because your insurance provider will pay the cost of the repair. However, because the claim procedure can be time-consuming, it is still advisable to exercise caution while choosing a parking spot for your vehicle.
Whenever feasible, park your vehicle in a well-lit and secure area. Install some cameras in your automobile if you have the option to do so to aid you in determining who vandalized your tires.
How to Prevent Having the Tires Slashed on Your Car
You can position your guard dog around the area where the incident is most likely to occur and allow it to do what it is trained to do, which is wreak chaos on the perpetrator who is committing the act, or better yet, alert you if there is an intruder in the vicinity of the alleged incident site, as described above.How long can you drive on a slashed tire before it becomes dangerous? According to Car Talk, it is possible to “drive several hundred yards before you severely damage the tire,” which is a significant advantage. It may be more prudent to drive slowly (no faster than 20 mph, or 32 km/h) to a safe stopping location rather than to stop on a crowded roadway in order to avoid accidents.
Can Slashing Tires Land You in Jail?There has been considerable debate about whether you can go to jail if you slash the tire of someone else’s car or not. We even briefly discussed the consequences of tire slashing here.
Slashing a tire is regarded to be a felony in most jurisdictions. If a person is discovered cutting a tire in the presence of police officers, they may be arrested without a warrant being obtained. Otherwise, a police report and an arrest warrant are required before the criminal can be apprehended.
If someone is arrested for slashing a tire, he or she may be sentenced to jail time, although he or she will most likely be freed and subjected to other penalties such as license suspension. If the perpetrator has a criminal record, the jail will be the home for the next few years if he or she is convicted. So, if you’re thinking about doing something like this, you should think again. Make your life as simple as possible. If you are having disagreements with someone and wish to exact revenge on that person, it is preferable to talk about the problem. You’ll both be able to sleep better at night if you do this.
However, if you need to do so for safety reasons, be prepared to deal with the ramifications.
Any crime, no matter how trivial or how serious, is still a crime. It would still cause problems with your records. As a result, make an informed decision and ask yourself if it is absolutely essential.
As described in the preceding section, which discusses how to tell whether you have a cut tire, a witness and proof may be required in some instances.
A witness to the occurrence may be able to provide you with reliable evidence. Finding a witness, on the other hand, can be difficult, particularly in a public place where people come and leave on a regular basis.
So, what else are you able to do? As previously said, you can look for a security camera or a closed-circuit television system (CCTV) in the vicinity of where you parked your vehicle. The owner of the vehicle may be willing to show you video footage of the incident if you can verify that your tire was vandalized after you find one.
In the event that you have been a victim of tire slashing, proving future incidences may be straightforward.
Nowadays, with the growth of technology, it is practically hard to remain completely anonymous when someone slashes your tire.
You can purchase a camera to use in order to capture the events that take place in the area where you regularly park your vehicle. There are a lot of alternatives available when it comes to deciding which camera to place in your vehicle. You may look at the best-selling cameras on Amazon to see which ones are the be.
ConclusionPeople who have had their tires cut have consistently linked the act to someone who held a personal grudge against them. These individuals can include an enraged former, a disgruntled coworker, a cruel neighbor, and the list goes on and on and on. Perform a soul search to determine where the problem must have originated because determining the source of the problem is always the first step in determining the next course of action to pursue.
If you discover that a specific individual is connected to the act as a result of your soul searching, address that individual and observe their reaction.
Some of them are likely to feel pleased with themselves for what they did, and some may even brag about doing it again. Therefore, it would be extremely sensible of you to record the entire conversation so that you have evidence if you chose to file charges later.
Top Tire Retailers
It’s not the most pleasant feeling to find that your tires have been slashed, especially if you had an important place to get to on time.
Therefore, listed below are the best strategies that will assist you in proving that your tires were slashed.
Tire slashing is usually a hard thing to prove, meaning you will have to rely on some clever strategies to identify the tire slasher, such as capturing CCTV footage, considering potential suspects, checking their internet activity and a number of other useful methods.
If you’d like to learn more tips on how to get concrete proof that someone slashed your tires, keep reading this article for useful information!
Get Them On CCTVNowadays, CCTV cameras can be found almost anywhere. Therefore, look around the location where you parked your car for a CCTV camera if you believe your flat tire was caused by slashing.
You can ask the camera owner to show you the footage if you find one nearby. If tire slashing is a repeat occurrence for your vehicle, then it would be best to have your own CCTV camera to catch the perpetrator.
Since tire slashing is more likely conducted at night, it’s crucial that you purchase a camera with exceptional night vision, which will make it easier for you and the police to identify the perpetrator.
As well, floodlights (or keeping the usual lights on) can assist in significantly improving the video quality. Bullet cameras also offer greater night vision than dome cameras because the cover that surrounds the lens in dome cameras typically lowers video quality.
Alternatively, you can get a dash cam that runs when you’re not in your vehicle.
Look At Your Personal RelationshipsSlashing tires is something that former friends and significant others are known for doing, which is why they’re usually the first suspects that the investigation turns to.
Therefore, explore this possibility and try to prove their involvement by confronting them and watching their reaction. You should also record the conversation so that you can have documentation if you decide to bring charges against them.
Most people who have experienced tire slashing have connected the act to someone who held a grudge against them. Apart from an angry former partner or friend as mentioned above, a disgruntled employee or a mean neighbor can also be a perpetrator.
In vandalism-related cases, the police will want undeniable evidence of the allegations you’re bringing, so if you merely tell them the offender informed you personally, they’ll most likely deny it.
Therefore,try recording the entire conversation on your phone or other recording device, but do it discreetly so as not to compromise your shot at success.
You can place your guard dog around the area where the incident is most likely to occur and let it do what it’s trained to do (i.e. wreaking havoc on the perpetrator, or notify you if there’s an intruder in the vicinity).
This helps you catch the perpetrator red handed and have a stronger case against them.
Acts of vandalism are more likely to occur during unusual hours, not necessarily at night, but at times when there is often less human activity in the area.
In such a scenario, make a conscious effort to be attentive during certain times in order to catch the criminal in the act, even if it means losing a few hours of sleep.
Even sleeping in your car for a few nights demonstrates how far you’re ready to go to capture the criminal in the act. However, only do so if your windows are tinted, as they provide cover and protection should the perpetrator appear again.
If you’re able to access the tools of someone you suspect slashed your tires, you can look through them for something that could have been used.
For instance, a knife that was used to slash a tire will likely be bent and have black streaks and stains from cutting into the rubber.
Slashing tires is not something that would be easy for a first-timer, and it definitely takes a few tries to make a significant cut. Therefore, chances are they would likely have hurt themselves.
So, you can check the hands of someone you suspect for injuries that would result from a few failed initial attempts, such as small cuts around their fingers.
If you have access to the browsing history of the person you suspect, you can have a look at their searches for something that points to research on how to slash tires or something similar.
You can fill up your tires with gas that can have a mild but noticeable effect on a person, such as helium.
While this may not lead to the arrest of the offender on the scene, it may offer you a hint as to who the perpetrator is, especially if they remain close by due to the effect of the gas.
However, ensure that there aren’t any innocent victims nearby.
Because your neighbor is an outsider, their remarks will be more credible than those of your spouse, sibling, or any other close family member.
Take some time to chat with your neighbors and keep them up to date on what’s going on in the neighborhood, as this will also assist everyone in the area keep a closer look at your car and your surroundings in general.
To know more, you can also see our posts on how to slash tires, why do people slash tires, why only slash 3 tires, and how common are flat tires.
adv.rbc.ru
adv.rbc.ru
adv.
rbc.ru
Autonews
TV channel
Pro
Investments
Events
+
New economy
Trends
Real estate
Sport
Style
National projects
City
Crypto
Debating club
Research
Credit ratings
Franchises
Newspaper
Special projects St.
Petersburg
Conferences St. Petersburg
Special projects
Checking counterparties
Library
Podcasts
ESG index
Politics
Economy
Business
Technology and media
Finance
RBC CompanyRBC Life
adv.rbc.ru
adv.rbc.ru
See also
Photo: Mikhail Pletsky / Russian Look
Flat tires are a very common occurrence. But what to do if the wheels on your car are cut by intruders? In this case, the procedure may differ and depends on the amount of damage caused.
However, in no case can not be inactive. We will figure out what should be done in such a situation and in what sequence.
The wheels on a car can be cut intentionally to harm a particular person, or simply out of hooligan motives. In the first case, such an action may be charged under Art. 167 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Intentional destruction or damage to property", and in the second - under article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Hooliganism causing material damage". However, the owner of the vehicle does not care for what reasons the wheels were punctured on his car. So a statement to the police in any case must be written.
In addition, you should pay attention to whether there were city or private outdoor video surveillance cameras near the parked car. It is possible that a DVR was installed on other cars, which could record the fact of the cut. It is also necessary to interview the residents of the house, especially those living in apartments with windows overlooking the courtyard.
If the culprit is identified, send him a written request: to reimburse the cost of damaged wheels; repair or replace wheels with new ones. The claim must have a legal basis. Therefore, one should refer to the norms of the current legislation, namely, Article 15 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. The legal norm governing the compensation for damages provides that a person who has suffered from the illegal actions of another person has the right to demand compensation for the losses that have been caused in full.
If your car is insured exclusively under OSAGO, then you should not count on any compensation from the insurance company. However, if you have a Casco, then in this case compensation is possible. It is necessary to carefully re-read the contract for insured events. However, compensation for damage in case of intentional punctures or cuts of tires is extremely rarely included in the list of insured events of hull insurance contracts. As a rule, insurance reimburses the cost of tires only if, due to damage or an accident, the wheel on the car is replaced as an assembly.
Photo: Oliver Ring / imageBROKER.com / Global Look Press
It all depends on the size of the damage and its location. If the length of the cut is too large and exceeds 12-15 cm, then the tire changers are unlikely to take up the repair of such rubber. In addition, none of the specialists will undertake to repair a cut on the sidewall of a tire. Especially if it does not run along the cord, but across. In all other cases, tire repair is possible, but the price of such work will vary greatly depending on both the size of the patch itself and the diameter of the tire.
Of course, it is best to leave your car in a guarded car park. But if this is not possible, then you should follow three simple rules: do not violate the parking rules, leave the car in well-lit places and, if possible, do this near large stores and supermarkets, where there may be a large number of outdoor video surveillance cameras.
How to
adv.
rbc.ru
adv.rbc.ru
If it is a puncture
Be that as it may, the cause of tire depressurization in 90% of cases is a puncture in the tread area. To find the puncture site, as a rule, it is enough to turn the steering wheel to the side and move the car half a meter forward. After all, if you did not see an object sticking out of the tire (most often, nails, screws) immediately, most likely, he hid in the contact patch. Still not found the culprit of the puncture? In this case, a water sprayer or even a simple water bottle will help - spray a suspicious tread fragment and you will understand from the bubbles where the "siphonite" comes from.
If you are convinced that the puncture diameter is small (no more than 5 mm), and the tire has deflated slightly, you can pump up the wheel and drive to the nearest tire fitting - this is the most correct algorithm of actions.
However, if the problem is discovered on the highway or at night (and you, of course, need to urgently go), you can try to repair the wheel yourself. How to do it?
On the Internet you can find a lot of advice on how to quickly, cheaply and relatively qualitatively fix a tire puncture. I was simply amused by the harsh, budgetary and, frankly, dubious method - to screw a self-tapping screw into the puncture site (the author, apparently, carries with him a whole set of bolts and screws), the diameter of which is slightly larger than the hole formed in the tire. This method of repair will be considered extreme, which is called the most extreme case.
Rescue kit
It is much more reasonable, however, to carry a special repair kit with you, consisting of several bands, glue and special tools, namely a spiral awl-file and a tourniquet for installing raw rubber flats (tubings).
For those who have not encountered such emergency repairs on the road, here are a few life hacks.
Before starting repairs, the wheel must be pumped up to at least 0.5-1.0 bar. Before removing a screw from the tire or removing a nail, prepare an awl-file in advance. We insert it into the hole and make five or six movements up and down, trying not to damage the cord threads. We leave the awl-file in the hole, and moisten it ourselves in glue and insert the flagellum into the tire using a special harness holder. With an effort we push the tourniquet inside the tread, leaving the "tails" outside, sharply pull out the harness holder and cut off the excess rubber tails.
Another effective and easy way to repair a tire on the go is to use a special sealant that is poured from a cylinder into the inner volume of the tire directly through the valve. After injecting such a repair composition, tighten the spool and turn the wheel a few turns so that the mixture spreads evenly over the inner surface.
Under the action of centrifugal force, this compound spreads over the entire inner surface of the tire, filling the hole.
The advantage of this solution is that such a saving spray can pump up the wheel, since the glue is injected into the tire under pressure. In other words, both a repair kit based on flagella and "anti-puncture" cylinders will always be useful to have "on board", especially if you go on a long trip.
If the sidewall of the tire is punctured
It happens that two wheels fail at once, and the issue cannot be solved by installing a "spare tire" alone. To an even greater extent, the situation will become more complicated if the tire receives a side "wound" - a cut, puncture or tear in the sidewall area.
Small punctures in the sidewall of a tire can also be dealt with with rescue flagella, but you should be aware that sealing reliability in this case will be much lower than when repairing a tread puncture. Nevertheless, the algorithm of actions will be approximately the same as in the case of tread repair. We hammer one or several glued harnesses into the side cut, cut off the excess, pump up the tire and move at low speed towards the tire fitting.
If side punctures or cuts occur on the road, cord patches and a so-called activator glue can also be useful. Repair plasters (patches) consist of several layers of cord and elastic rubber. The secret is to use a special adhesive that can dissolve the top layer of rubber and soak into its structure.
The algorithm of your actions is the following. The area around the damage must be carefully sanded and, if possible, degreased, then applied to a layer of special glue and held for several minutes. Then the protective film is removed from the working side of the repair patch and the "patch" is pressed to the place of damage. At this stage, it is important to create the maximum possible effort for at least two to three minutes.
What to do if the wheel is flat on the rim
It happens that you could not find a puncture in a tire, and your suspicion falls logically on the rim. First, check the nipple with soapy water to eliminate the possibility of a leak. After that, we carefully examine the metal of the disk and, with a high degree of probability, we find a loose fit of the tire to the base of the disk.
As a rule, this happens as a result of deformation on the pits, less often - due to the appearance of natural corrosion on the rim.
How to solve the problem? Popular experience says the following. We bleed the air from the wheel and lubricate the defect of the disk with highly crushed soap or candle paraffin, which, as you understand, it is logical to prudently carry with you. Then we pump up the wheel and start moving. When driving from friction, the wax will begin to melt and "seal" the places through which the air was bled. Even better, special lubricants, sprays and sealants, which can be purchased at automotive stores, will cope with the filling work.
As you can see, it all comes down to carrying around a real gentleman's repair kit. In addition to a good pump and jack, we advise you to keep pliers, scissors, a knife, sealant, rubber glue, a set of skins, harnesses and patches and, of course, tools for installing them in the trunk. Don't forget also a can of special puncture repair.
