Is it Legal to Patch Your Tire in 2020?

For most people who are living in the west, we all had that experience of riding our bikes around and blowing out those inner tubes. So, many of us would patch them up and get to riding again. Patching rubber and rubber-like materials works very well, by and large. You can patch up pools and raincoats and all sorts of things. However, does it actually work to patch an automobile tire? This depends on an entirely different set of circumstances, as tires don’t have inner tubes and are sealed to the rim basically by air pressure alone. It’s such a different thing, in fact, that there are laws regarding how someone can patch their tire. In nations like Canada, they take laws like these very seriously in order to keep drivers safe on the road.

 No matter what you end up learning about the legality of tire patching, you should always seek out a tire service if you have a leak in your tire or if you need it changed. You never want to risk your own safety or anyone else’s by going with some quick fix that simply inflates your tire again. What started as a leak could lead to a blowout, which could lead to a serious accident.

 That aside, let’s have a look at whether it’s legal or not to patch your tire in Canada in the year 2020.

Yes, It’s Legal; And, No, It’s Not

 The thing about laws in Canada, or most other western nations, is that they change on a whim, and it’s your job to keep up with them, not lawmakers’ jobs to make you aware of them. What typically happens is that people lead busy lives, end up accidentally breaking a law they didn’t know existed, and then get told that ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. One might think there’s an easier way, like actually telling everyone about these new laws. But they don’t. Thankfully, for tire patches in the nation, the laws have been pretty clear and standard for quite some time now. We can find no major changes from 2019 to 2020 regarding tire patches.

 It basically goes like this: Yes, it’s legal to patch a tire, but what do they mean? The law states, paraphrased in layman’s terms, that the inside of the tire can have a patch, which is typically going to be done by a professional tire service. The reasoning? A tire patched from the inside isn’t going to be pulled away while driving, and has a much higher likelihood of holding up. Although, they recommend that people treat a patched tire much like a spare and get a tire replacement as soon as possible. The aim is to prevent people out there on the roadways driving around on a patch.

 But it also goes like this: No, it’s not legal to patch a tire, but what do they mean? The law states that one cannot drive around on a tire that has patches on the outside. While today’s patching methods are much more professional and done from the inside, you might be surprised to learn that it wasn’t always like that. People would make these adhesive patches and simply stick them to the outside of their tires. Some would hold up well enough to drive for a while, but most would fail, and the patch would tear off, causing the tire to go flat.

 Basically, the gist here is that Canada does not want you out there driving on an improperly patched tire. They would rather you not ride on a patch at all, but the law states that you can, so long as the patch is on the inside of the tire. And while it is true that this is something you can do yourself, by taking the tire off the rim, patching it, and putting it back on, it’s something that’s done a lot better and easier by actual professionals whose entire business is dealing with tires. They can do a job like this in minutes.

Checking Up on Laws

 We want to remind you that it’s up to you to check out these laws for changes. Stay in contact with your representatives if you can, and make sure you’re checking out government websites for changes. There are constant law changes regarding mufflers and the height of vehicles and a slew of other things about your car that you can get in trouble for not doing. The only way to properly comply with the law is to understand these laws. It might be a bit inconvenient for you, but you have to take the time necessary to familiarize yourself with these laws. You’re going to be driving your car around, and so you don’t want to be pulled over and ticketed for something you could have easily avoided.

Allowing Professionals to Handle It for You

 The best way to get your tire patched, hands down, is to allow the professionals to handle this job. They have the tools ready at their disposal to quickly remove your entire wheel, pop the tire off, patch it, and get it back on in no time. Though you should also keep in mind that a patched tire has a very finite life. If you’re already seeking the help of the pros, you might as well at least consider getting yourself a new tire as a replacement, or perhaps a whole set. The good news here is that there are reputable locations near you in Canada that will offer you great tires for a very fair price.

 For as rough as tires are, they can also get holes in them quite easily. It’s impossible to spot all of those dangerous things on the road that you might end up running over by mistake. Some of these things won’t deflect away from the tire but will instead bust right through and cause the tire to go flat. If you need patches or replacements, then they’re very easy to find.