Indeed, you should avoid changing your flat tire on the hard shoulder of a motorway or at the side of the road, as there is always a danger of oncoming traffic. According to the Highway Code drivers should “only change the tire if you can do so without putting yourself or others at risk-otherwise call a breakdown service.” Once you have stopped, you’ll need to assess whether it is safe for you to change your flat tire. If you’re on a minor road, try to pull over in a place where your vehicle have little chance of being an obstruction to oncoming traffic. Take great care and give other road users enough notice when maneuvering your car with a flat tire. If you’re traveling on a dual carriageway or motorway, you can use the hard shoulder. What you need to do immediately is find a safe place to pull over as soon as possible. Therefore, it can take drivers a few miles or more before even realizing that there is a puncture. These slow punctures are very hard to notice by just walking past, or looking at the tire. In most cases, you are far more likely to get a flat tire from a slow puncture that results in a steady leak of air-rather than a sudden loss of air or burst. How to spot driving with a flat tire whilst on the road/motorway Please refer to your vehicles user manual, or tire specifications to check the speed and distances that could be driven in such circumstances. Lastly, if your vehicle is fitted with run-flat tires, you may be able to drive with the tire even though all the air is lost from it. In some instances, a can of tire repair may also help and give you that extra bit of time to get home. However, if you don’t have an electric inflator or air leaks too fast from the tire, then you can either call out a breakdown service or if you have a spare wheel, you could fit that. If you have a mini electric inflator (which plugs into the cigarette lighter socket) you can try to inflate the tire and if lucky, get yourself home. As soon as you’re aware that you are driving with a flat tire, pull over to the side of the road if safe to do so.

What to do when you have a flat tire