What to Do If You Get a Flat Tyre

If you drive a vehicle, it’s guaranteed that you will eventually get a flat tyre at some point. There is not much you can do to prevent it, aside from taking care where you drive. Do you know what to do if you notice you have a flat tyre?

Identify a Flat Tyre

Usually, you’ll be driving when you get a flat. These are almost always due to a small puncture, so it may take some time to notice just what is going on. You may find that the vehicle pulls slightly to the side and it becomes increasingly difficult to steer. You may also notice an odd thumping or flapping noise on the side where the tyre is flat.

Stop the Vehicle

As soon as you realise something is wrong, you should pull over. It’s not safe to continue driving on a flat tyre, so as soon as there is a secure place to pull to the side of the road, do this, using your turn signal. It’s best to get far enough over that you will not impede traffic.

Once you’ve stopped, determine if it’s safe to actually change the tyre. If it’s not, you will need to call a breakdown service.



Change the Tyre

To change the tyre, be sure you’re on flat ground and put the vehicle into park if it’s automatic, first gear if it’s manual, and set the handbrake. You should turn the vehicle off, but leave the hazard lights on and everyone must get out of the car.

Use wheel chocks to ensure the vehicle doesn’t roll. You’ll need to then place the jack and raise the vehicle until it is 10 cm off the ground before you can remove the wheel.

Use your wheel wrench to loosen the nuts with an anti-clockwise motion. You can then remove the flat and replace it with your spare tyre. Replace the wheel nuts by hand and then lower the vehicle. Now use the wheel wrench to tighten the wheel nuts again.

What to Do with the Flat Tyre

You can usually have the flat tyre repaired if the damage isn’t too great. Otherwise, you’ll need to replace it. Whatever you do, arrange it rapidly, because you could end up with another flat tyre and no spare to fix it.

You should always have a spare tyre ready to go in your boot. If you don’t currently have one, contact Acorn Tyres to ensure you get a good tyre that you can keep with you for emergency use.