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How do I puncture a tire?

I’m working on the set design for a short film and in one of the scenes, a character comes back to their car to find their tires slashed. I need to make it look realistic, so how do I go about puncturing a tire?

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Andrew Biro · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Interesting question! It usually isn’t recommended to slash or puncture tires in any way, especially if they aren’t your tires—intentionally puncturing someone’s tires is actually a criminal offense, one that you can be charged for.
In your situation, however, we can see where the knowledge might come in handy and you shouldn’t face legal repercussions for creating a realistic set-piece—provided you have express permission from the tire’s owner to do so.
In order to puncture a tire, do the following:
  • Depressurize the tire (this will minimize the sound)
  • Get a sharp folding knife, long nail, awl, or screwdriver
  • Position your tool above a point on the tire’s sidewall
  • Turning your face away from the tire, quickly and forcefully puncture the tire’s surface
  • Depending on the tool you use, the tire may deflate rapidly or over a couple of hours
Again, never do this to someone’s tire with malicious intent—you will get in trouble with the law.
Someone slashed your tires? Make sure you have an insurance policy that will cover the damages—licensed
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