Are lead counterbalances safe?

[Blobbenstein]

I have found a few lead wheel counterbalances on the road, and I guess they must come loose and fly off sometimes.
If they fly off, then they will be travelling the same speed as the car, roughly......is that safe?


edit: I suppose that it depends on which way they fly off....if they fly off in the direction of the car, they would be travelling twice as fast as the car.

 

[shyvas]

I have found a few lead wheel counterbalances on the road, and I guess they must come loose and fly off sometimes.
If they fly off, then they will be travelling the same speed as the car, roughly......is that safe?


edit: I suppose that it depends on which way they fly off....if they fly off in the direction of the car, they would be travelling twice as fast as the car.

I see them everywhere over here. They are very lightweight and I've never seen them damage anything or injure anyone.

 

[Blobbenstein]

It's just a matter of probability. I guess they are thrown along the direction of travel, but if it was on a bend, then they could fly into someone on the pavement, or maybe a cyclist. It surely must have happened....

 

[ledboots]

I don't know what counterbalances are.

 

[Blobbenstein]

counterweights(or whatever) are bits of metal(eg lead) that are added to wheels to make them balanced so that they spin more smoothly,with less shake. They are added to the rim.

here's a picture:

 

[das_nut]

Probably safer than the average car, considering how many people vehicles injure and kill each year.