Can beer bottles pop car tires?

[Dissident Dan]

I'm not quite sure if this is the most appropriate forum. Some jerks were throwing beer bottles in the parking lot the other day. I was quite angry at them. Is it possible for broken beer bottles to cut car tires so as to make them lose air?

[Janitor]

Don't know the answer to that, sorry. I do know someone who swears his Bronco tires went flat due to running over cactus needles.

[BoulderHead]

I suspect a sharp piece of bottle breakig and flying into the tire wouldn't cut deep enough in most cases to cause a flat, especially if it hit the treaded part. The sidewall would offer itself for easier penetration by a flying piece of glass whereas running over the glass would most likely involved the treaded part.

[faust9]

It all depents on the type of tire, tire composition, and remaining tread. Soft beltless tires (high performance usually racing or motorcycle) can be popped by glass, Your average steel belted tire that still has tread should be fine. Old bald tires are suseptible to puncture. I would pull each tire off and inspect them for imbedded glass. Remove any pieces stuck into the tread. If you find a piece of glass stuck deep into the tire (cutting through a tread of between the tread) leave it in otherwise the tire will deflate. Put a spare on (unless more than one tire is affected in which case you can risk deflating a tire while driving) and go to the neaqrest tire shop. They can fix punctures unless there is sidewall damage.

Good Luck.

[Cliff_J]

Luck will play a part in that. A sharp pointed piece of glass positioned so that as the tire contacts it the forces are compressive it might do it, I've seen it once on the tire of a little Dodge Omni while in high school. But the odds are pretty low, usually the pieces are too small and the sharp edges are parallel to the ground.

Cliff

[killerinstinct]

Try it and maybe you will find out for yourself.
I'd suppose it could.