What are Mud Flaps?

As you are driving down the road, do you ever loo k around you?  Do you focus just on the road in front of you?  First of all, that is dangerous…stop it.  You should keep your attention on the road, yes…but you should also be aware of what is around you and what the other drivers in the area are doing.  This is the best way to stay safe on the road. 

But, I digress.  My whole reason for starting off that way was to see if you pay attention to the other vehicles.  If you do, then sometimes you may also notice what types of vehicles there are or even if some of the vehicles have different accessories or personalizations than yours does.  These can be things like cargo racks, running boards, KC lights or even mud flaps. 

So what exactly is a mud flap and why is it important enough to be writing about?  That is a very good question.

Definition

A mud flap can be defined as a piece of rubber, polyurethane or even aluminum that is placed behind the tire on a vehicle in order to block some of the rocks, gravel, mud and other debris from the road that is picked up and thrown by the tires. 

The definition alone is why they are important.  They protect not only the vehicle that they are on but also the vehicles on and off the road behind them.  When rocks and other debris are thrown up into oncoming traffic they could hit the windshield of the vehicle behind you and not only break the windshield, but also could actually cause injuries or even accidents.

Types

So are all mud flaps the pain black pieces of rubber that you frequently see in the backs of 18 wheelers?  The short answer is no.  To elaborate a bit, like I mentioned before, they are made from different materials.   The type of material used to make them will alter the look by itself.  Beyond that these flaps are almost endlessly customizable.  There are various flap manufacturers who will not only make your flaps to your specific sizes and shapes, but they will also put any type of customization that you want on it.  This can be anything from a company logo to a school mascot to everything and anything in between.  They can either stamp the designs on the flaps, heat emboss them, use stainless steel cutouts or even airbrush them.

I hope that in reading this article you have learned what a mud flap is along with the purpose of them.  Maybe you also learned that you can get exactly what you want.  One last thing though, they are available for every budget.