In general, one is supposed to keep their car’s tires pumped up to between 28 and 36 PSI (pounds per square inch).
That said, every set of tires is different. And not following your tires’ specifications can cause a host of issues when you’re out on the road.
Sometimes, these issues are minor. For example, one driver found that her tires were unexpectedly worn after 26,000 miles, so much so that her warranty was invalidated. Other times, however, ignoring your car’s stated limits can lead to disaster.
Now, a user on TikTok has the internet talking after sharing her own tire-related incident. But what caused her car’s tire to do this?
What happened with this gas station air pump?
In a video with over 25,000 views, TikTok user Court (@courtwehn) shows herself filling her car’s tire with air. Looking at the screen on the air pump, it appears that her car is only at around 25 PSI of pressure.
Despite this, while she’s pumping the air, something unexpected happens. The tire pops, causing her to stumble backwards and the car’s wheel to sink.
“It was only on 32!” Court says after the incident, referring to the machine’s PSI limit.
Why did this woman’s tire pop?
In the comments section, users immediately began to offer their theories about what could have caused this car’s tire to pop.
“Tires can blow when inflating them if the tire tread is either down to wire or a small puncture rupture,” wrote a user.
“Looks like she was driving on a low tire. You can tell by the sidewall on the tire it was low before what happened was the tire was low and she drove on it for a long time and then put air and it blew the sidewall,” offered another.
In response, Court said that the latter comment was largely correct.
“That’s exactly what happened. I had no idea it was that low,” she wrote. “My tire pressure gage isn’t working on one of my tires, so I assumed the tire light was always for the one tire that was inflated.”
As noted by Inside Edition, driving on a tire that is flat or low on air can be dangerous, as it increases the risk that small holes or ruptures will form in the tire. Then, when the tire is being inflated, the small scrapes and punctures can be a weak point in the tire, increasing the likelihood that it will explode.
Explosions like these can be deadly, with multiple cases of death by exploding tires reported every year.
@courtwehn I’ve never had this happen to me before. To say the least, it scared the shit out of me #fypシ ♬ original sound – Court 🪴 | SAHM ✨
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, many users said that Court should be happy to simply have a popped tire on her hands—and not a more serious incident or injury.
“Better there than the highway going 65+,” said a commenter.
“Girl be greatful it happened then when you were parked and not driving with your little girl!” echoed another.
“That tire popping probably saved you guys physically, not financially,” declared a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Court via TikTok direct message and comment.
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