No, You Don't Need To Put A Plastic Bottle On Your Tire When Parked

There are already more than enough myths surrounding car tires to make someone's head spin, and it's time to bust yet another. You may have come across some sources stating that putting a plastic water bottle on your car tire is a good idea while your vehicle is parked. Many claim it will trick thieves and carjackers into thinking that your car is being monitored. Others state that it will help maintain the tires themselves by helping them avoid flat spots and unexpectedly bursting. Some sources even make the bold statement that placing a bottle on your car tires can — somehow — act as a temperature regulator that will keep your tire and entire car from getting too hot (if anything, they can actually prove to be more damaging to your car in this regard).

Most, if not all, of these assertions come from less-than-trustworthy sources such as personal blogs and listicles that seek to do little more than use a head-turning claim as clickbait to grab viewers' attention rather than act as legitimate advice backed up by tire manufacturers and proven studies. However, many believe there's more reason to be concerned if you ever see a water bottle on your tire. 

If putting a water bottle on your tire while it's parked makes you feel good, then no one's stopping you from doing so. But while doing so yourself won't essentially cause any major harm to the tire, you may have heard that finding a bottle lodged in your tires that you didn't place there yourself is a sign that a carjacker is nearby. However, even these claims don't hold a ton of water. 

The idea is that a thief will shove an empty water bottle in between your car and tire, likely on the passenger's side, while you're away. Once you start driving, the jarring crunch on your tires will throw you off and cause you to come out to investigate the disturbance. As soon as you step outside of the vehicle — likely with your keys and other valuables still inside — the criminal who's been awaiting this moment will spring out of the woodwork, slip into your vehicle, and drive away. 

While this sounds like a somewhat convoluted situation at first, it seems believable enough to get most drivers concerned. However, this is another theory that holds little weight, with no recorded instances of this taking place nor any statistics from reputable sources to qualify it as a substantial enough issue worthy of concern. By using common sense and following some basic proven car safety tips, there's little reason to worry about such a scenario from taking place.