The 39-year-old Melbourne man recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.215 after allegedly driving his SUV home on three bare rims while the vehicle burned, according to 7NEWS. Video shows sparks and flames as the vehicle travelled to Deer Park, and the car was found still alight outside his house. The driver says he remembers only up to a third drink, expects to lose his licence and is relieved no one was hurt. Experts warn rim-scraping can generate enough heat and sparks to ignite fuel, brake fluid or dry roadside vegetation.
Melbourne Man With 0.215 BAC Drove Home On Bare Rims — SUV Caught Fire Outside His House
Image Credit: 7News
A 39-year-old Melbourne man has been charged with drink-driving after allegedly driving his SUV home on bare rims while the vehicle was alight. Police say the driver recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.215 — more than four times Victoria's legal limit of 0.05 — but told 7NEWS he cannot remember most of the night. Fortunately, no one was injured.
What Happened
Police say the man had been drinking after work on a Wednesday night before driving to Deer Park, several suburbs from his home in Melbourne. Video obtained by authorities shows the SUV travelling on three rims with sparks showering the road and visible flames beneath the vehicle. The car was later found still burning outside the man's house.
Driver's Account
The driver told 7NEWS he remembers having a third drink and nothing after that; he suspects he consumed more alcohol. He said he does not recall being taken to Sunshine Police Station for questioning and had believed his vehicle had simply been towed home. The man expressed shame and relief that no one was hurt, saying he expects to lose his licence and describing the episode as a wake-up call.
Why Bare Rims Can Ignite A Fire
From a technical standpoint, driving on bare rims dramatically increases the risk of fire. A steel or alloy wheel scraping on asphalt at speed generates intense friction and heat; the resulting sparks and high temperatures can ignite fuel vapour, brake fluid or other flammable materials inside or beneath a vehicle. Sparks can also ignite dry roadside vegetation, creating a wider public-safety hazard — especially during dry conditions.
“Driving on a flat tyre is already dangerous, and having no tyre at all is a whole other story,” Dylan Thomsen of the New Zealand Automobile Association told The New Zealand Herald in 2024 after a similar incident.
Context And Precedent
Jurisdictional precedent includes a Victorian case reported last year in which a driver whose tyres had been spiked allegedly continued on three rims across a border region, starting roadside fires before his own car caught alight, according to The Border Mail. Authorities and safety experts strongly warn against attempting to drive on rims — and warn that combining drink-driving with such behaviour multiplies the risks to the driver, other road users and the environment.
Takeaway: Driving under the influence and on bare rims is extremely dangerous. If you encounter a tyre failure, stop safely and call for assistance rather than continuing on damaged wheels.
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