How to Deal with a Punctured Tyre Safely

While we all do our best to stay safe out on the roads, sometimes a flat tyre is unavoidable. This unfortunate event can be less stressful if you know how to deal with it safely, so we thought we’d share our top tips. Hopefully, you’ll never have to use them – but you never know!

How to deal with a punctured tyre on the motorway

Experiencing a punctured tyre on a motorway or dual carriageway can be scary, even for the most experienced drivers. With vehicles moving past at high speeds and multiple lanes to deal with, what could start as a flat tyre could end up in further difficulties if you don’t follow the recommended safety advice.

·         Are you close to the hard shoulder? If so, slowly move onto the hard shoulder, as far to the left as possible.

·         Exit the car via the left doors and wait at a safe distance, making sure to keep children under control. 

·         The AA recommends not changing the wheel on the hard shoulder of the motorway. Instead, call your breakdown service to help.

How to deal with a punctured tyre on a single track road

While you may not be travelling as fast on a single track road, it is still important to get your vehicle out of the road and into a safe place to avoid further accidents or a hold-up. Whether you’re not far from home or in the middle of nowhere, here’s how to safely deal with a flat tyre on this type of road.

·         Assess your surroundings – can you pull off to a safe place, away from traffic? If you can, move the car slowly and safely.

·         If you cannot pull off the road, turn on your hazard lights and display your warning triangle if you have one. Move all passengers to a safe place, away from the vehicle. 

·         Only if your vehicle is far away from traffic should you attempt to change the tyre. If you are in any doubt, ring for help.

Next Steps

·         While they make it possible for you to drive again, a spare tyre or temporary sealant is not a permanent fix.

·         The next step is to take your car straight to a garage so that the tyre can be checked over.

·         If all your tyres are around the same age, it’s worth having them all checked to prevent another puncture.

If you want to reduce the risk of getting a punctured tyre, we’d be happy to check your tyres here at Express Service. Just get in touch to make an appointment with our expert team. 

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Published: 14/10/2016
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