Driver shares photo of unexpected object that destroyed vehicle's tire: 'Had exactly the same thing happen to me'

One U.K. driver recently took to the r/CarTalkUK subreddit to share a couple of photos of their flat tire and what caused it.

"Well, s***," the poster wrote, succinctly. Underneath that caption were two photos of the flat tire and the disposable vape cartridge that had fully punctured it, leaving a gaping hole. 

Surprisingly (or not, considering the ubiquity of disposable vapes), car tires being punctured by them is a more common phenomenon than many people probably realize. Several examples have popped up in various subreddits recently, and that's likely only the tip of the iceberg.

In addition to being unexpectedly hazardous to car tires, disposable vapes, also known as e-cigarettes, come with a whole host of other problems. Like all single-use plastics, which are made from petroleum (i.e., oil), these products harm our planet at every stage of their manufacture, sale, consumption, and disposal.

According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, more than 17 billion pounds of plastic enters oceans every year, with devastating consequences for marine life. The damage caused by e-cigarettes, which contain heavy metals, lead, mercury, nicotine salts, and flammable battery components, is even more extensive.

Vaping is also, despite being marketed (mostly toward children) as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes, terrible for your health. The vapor that comes out of these devices contains toxic chemicals, including acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde, according to the American Lung Association. 

The commenters on the r/CarTalkUK subreddit were disgusted to see yet another tire fall victim to a littered vape.

"I'd be sending those pictures to my MP demanding they bring up disposable vapes in parliament. That could have ended a lot worse than needing a new tyre," wrote one commenter.

"This is what happens when the word 'disposable' is misused and abused in product marketing! … They're a single-use electronic and as such need to be recycled, if not banned altogether," wrote another.

"Had exactly the same thing happen to me last year whilst driving a brand new Audi A6 on loan from Audi. No spare and had to be recovered and pay for a new tyre," a third chimed in.

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