As one of the most commonly littered items in recent years, disposable vape pens are quickly becoming a growing concern for our environment. And according to one perplexed mechanic, vapes are also becoming a concern for drivers.
Posting to r/AskMechanics, the Redditor was a bit stumped when a customer came into their garage with a flat tire. After inspecting the tire, they couldn't quite determine what could have caused the damage.
The mechanic uploaded a single picture of the tire in question. There appeared to be a large indentation that nearly ripped a hole in the rubber. "Just had to change a flat, any idea what could've caused this damage to the tire?" the original poster asked.
In the comments section, a few users immediately made some observations that cleared up the incident.
"Do you use an automated car wash or parking garage? Something very hot came in contact with your tire and generated a lot of friction," one commenter wrote. "That is not wear from driving."
A second commenter followed up with what appears to be the correct answer. "Seen this damage multiple times, but this looks like it might have been driven on for a while after the damage occurred," they noted. "Disposable 'vapes' or 'e-cigarettes' that have been discarded in the street."
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"The battery inside overheats when it gets run over and melts right through the tire material," they added.
According to a report from Environment America, an estimated 4.5 disposable vapes are thrown out every second. Vape pens are non-biodegradable and often contain toxic materials like nicotine, heavy metals, and lithium batteries. When not discarded properly, they can contaminate soil, water, and ecosystems. This can potentially cause risks to wildlife and humans.
Due to a combination of their chemical composition and how they store and release energy, when lithium batteries are exposed to heat or other factors, such as the immense pressure of a car driving over them, they can generate enough heat to catch fire.
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