Slashed tires frequently have surface incisions made to deflate them deliberately or accidentally. Knowing how to prevent your tires from getting slashed will give you peace of mind when you leave your vehicle unattended, particularly on your RVing trip to places you may not be familiar with. 

Alarms, motion-activated lighting, surveillance equipment, careful driving, and parking in public areas are a few strategies to stop your tires from being slashed.  

It may not have happened to you yet, but tire slashing is real. For instance, on March 8, 2023, between midnight and four in the morning in Sandy, Oregon, 50 victims woke up to find their vehicle tires slashed.

But because some of their neighbors had security cameras, they could identify what had occurred. Could they have, however, done more? 

The answer is yes, they could have. In this article, I discuss precautions you can take to avoid having your tires cut.

Not only that, but I also explain what to do if this happens to you, how to fix it, and how much it will cost you if someone slashes your tires. 

IN THIS ARTICLE Show

What is Tire Slashing?

Tire slashing deliberately or accidentally deflates tires by creating slits, lacerations, or slashes. Tires slashes occur when cuts are made diagonally, at an angle, or directly across the tires. The incision causes the tire to lose air, which deflates it.  

A pocket knife, jigsaw, hacksaw, shears, scissors, screwdriver, icepick, ice scraper, or any other pointed metal gadget can slit tires.

Aiming at the sidewall, the area right next to the rim, is the best way to slash a tire. It lacks steel like the tread. Hence, most people who slash tires regard it as the weakest link. 

There are several instances in which your tires can get slashed. 

  • Driving over tire spikes or debris
  • During riots
  • Driving over sharp stones, metals, and glass 
  • Vandals just being vandals
  • A malicious person that wants to get even
  • Someone trying to ensure you cannot follow them when they are trying to escape 

5 Ways to Prevent Tires from Being Slashed

After a few incidences of my tires being slashed at home and on the road, I had to look for preventive solutions.

Preparing for this article, I talked to friends, neighbors, and the local police to get insight on ways to prevent my tires from getting slashed. Below, I highlight the top five recommendations obtained from my research.

Alarms

Before they cause any harm, the alarm’s sounds will frighten the vandals. Remember to turn on the alarms before you leave your vehicle.

When your vehicle is physically damaged, the alarm system will sound the horns and flash the lights. Some innovative car alarm systems can send you text messages or notifications.

While most standard car alarms won’t go off when someone slashes your tires, some have motion detectors.

Others create two detecting fields around your vehicle, like the dual-zone motion sensor. They detect moving high-energy objects by using RF-field disturbance technology. 

Guard dogs can sound alerts as well. They’ll bark at strangers who approach your vehicle. When the dog barks, it can frighten the vandals. The dogs might even help you pursue the vandals, even though this is not always a good idea. When cornered, vandals may be dangerous.  

Park In Public Places Or Home Garage

Most vandals will not attempt to slit tires in public places. More so if the public spaces are well protected, have adequate CCTV, or are well-lit. Better still, park close to an entrance or exit. Due to the high volume of people using these two sites, it is hard for vandals to slash your tires. 

Your vehicle will be safe if you park in an enclosed area like your garage at home. If you don’t have a garage, leave your car in a spot where it can be seen from your home and is close to a street light. Anyone attempting to slash your tires is discouraged if the vehicle is in a well-lit area. 

Drive Carefully

Aggressive driving on rocky roads might sometimes result in tire slashes. Driving with care prevents your tires from being slashed by metals, glass, and jagged stones.

Your slashed tires could result from road rage. If you and another driver get into a heated argument on the road, the other driver might angrily slash your tires. So, I recommend driving carefully and avoiding road rage as much as possible. 

Park Near Surveillance Devices

When you park your vehicle near surveillance devices such as CCTVs, vandals are unlikely to target it. Most poles near parking areas have CCTVs. 

You can identify your offender by placing bullet cameras all around your home. Vandals are less likely to carry out their evil plans if they know that surveillance equipment is in your yard.

If they go ahead and slash your tires, you can use these video clips to identify the offender and provide evidence to the authorities and your insurance provider.

Check out the YouTube video from the David Nonato channel showing how the camera captured criminals slashing a Tesla Santra car tires: 

You can also install two dash cameras to monitor opposite sides of your vehicle. Get the ones with excellent video quality and night vision. Remember to turn on your auto start when leaving the car for the recording to start.  

The video from the Khoa Cao YouTube channel below demonstrates how the Dash cam works: 

Install Motion Sensor Lights

You can install motion sensor lights where you park your vehicle at night. The lights will come on if there is a disturbance in your yard. 

Only in complete darkness would a vandal attempt to slash your vehicle’s tires. Imagine their surprise as they try to sneak into your yard, and suddenly, floodlights blind them. They will run away in terror, and the commotion will alert you. 

Your bedroom window should provide you with a clear view of your vehicle. When the floodlights turn on, you’ll notice and check. Get lights that are as strong as the SANSI Security Incandescent lamps.

How to Fix Slashed Tires

If someone has slashed your tires, here are some tips on how to fix it: 

  • Raise your vehicle off the ground using a jack.
  • Identify where the slash is. It won’t take long to spot a significant laceration on the sidewall. 
  • Take the slashed tire off the wheel to identify slashes on the interior. Having auto mechanic tools will be of great help. You can find the point of the tear by spraying soapy water all over the tire and observing for bubbles. 
  • Buff the area next to the slit tires. You can use a vulcanized seal to patch the slashed tire. 
  • You can reinstall the tire. However, remember that a repaired tire does not last long. So you might need a new one soon.  

What to do if Someone Slashes Your Tires? 

Here’s what you can do when someone slashes your tires: 

  • Make an initial report with the police within 24 hours of the incident. The police will inform you if it’s an isolated incident or if the greater area has had similar cases. Check whether your car has additional damage, such as rim damage. 
  • Contact and report to your insurance provider immediately. The insurance company will probably request a police report. You might have to pay a deductible before receiving compensation. Therefore, it’s a good idea to calculate how much replacing the slashed tires will cost before paying the deductible. It only makes sense to process the claim if the cost exceeds the deductible.
  • Keep any video captured by a surveillance camera during the incident and present it to the police and your insurance company. 
  • If possible, obtain the witnesses’ names and phone numbers. 
  • If you have one, speak with your personal injury lawyer, who can help assess your case and determine whether you can pursue compensation for your damages. 

However, it’s important to note not all insurance policies will cover tire replacement. Insurance claims resulting from non-driving events like vandalism or slashed tires could be covered only by comprehensive coverage.

Accidents where the driver strikes stationary objects like road spikes and sustains tire damage, are also often covered under comprehensive coverage. 

If your tires are slashed on someone else’s property but you don’t have tire insurance, you can seek damages by suing the owner.

However, you cannot file a claim for tire slashes if the property owner has posted signage warning visitors to park on their land at their own risk. Almost every property owner I know has this sign. 

What is the Cost of Slashed Tires? 

Tire slashing does not just cause severe damage to the vehicle; it will inconvenience you. Moreover, it will impact you financially and emotionally. Let’s look deeper at the financial and emotional costs of slit tires. 

Emotional cost

Learning that someone has purposefully slashed your tires is upsetting and frightening. Feelings of helplessness, frustration, and anger can arise. 

You might also experience feelings of being violated, vulnerability, and worry about your family’s safety. 

Fear of leaving your car unattended is one of the long-term effects of the abovementioned emotions. Stress and anxiety will continue to exist as a result. 

Additionally, the mental toll of having your tires slashed may affect your productivity in your tasks. Think about the time you’ll need to miss from work or your regular activities to notify the police and insurance company. 

Financial Cost

The cost might be high depending on how many tires you need to replace. The cost of replacing tires also increases based on the extent of the damage and the type of slashed tire. 

It’s even worse if you lack comprehensive insurance or have limited financial resources. 

Consider the extra cost of installing security features like alarms, CCTV cameras, motion sensors, employing private security, or owning watchdogs. 

Conclusion

Finding your tire slashed can be pretty traumatizing. You can install alarms, CCTV cameras, dash cams, guard dogs, and motion sensor flood lights to deter vandals. Report the incident immediately to your insurance provider and the police in your area. 

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

1. How to prevent tires from being slashed?

Parking in public or well-guarded enclosed places, installing alarms, motion sensor flood lights, and surveillance devices are a few ways to prevent your tires from being slashed. 

2. What are the signs of slashed tires?

The appearance of numerous flats where none previously existed is the first sign that your tires have been slashed. A stilted tire indicates that your tires don’t have enough air pressure. Depending on the tool the vandals used, it will be entirely or partially flat. 

It’s more likely to be a slash if you see a neat, smooth cut on the sidewall of your tires. Driving on unpaved roads makes sidewall punctures unlikely to happen. Additionally, it is impossible to keep moving with a slit tire. 

Damage to the rims around the cut indicates that you have slashed tires. Typical collisions or punctures do not damage the rim.

A slashed tire will explode if it has enough pressure. But only if the criminals use a tool that leaves a tiny hole. A little air pressure can create a loud noise. The tire makes very little noise when the slash is broad and deep. 

3. Can slashed tires be repaired?

You can repair slashed tires. However, since the sidewall of a tire prevents air in the wheel from escaping, even a minute cut is not ideal. You can speak to your local tire repair center to determine whether your slashed tire can be repaired. 

A tire slash longer than a fourth of the tire’s diameter is too large to repair. The likelihood of additional damage rendering the tire irreparable increases if it has several slashes. The tire’s resilience and durability are affected by these multiple slashes. 

4. Are there any security measures to protect against tire slashing?

Installing security cameras facing the area where you usually park your car is an ideal security measure. Installing auto alarms with motion detectors is another security measure. You can also install a dash camera with outstanding video quality and night vision.