Flat tires are one of the most unpleasant issues that can happen to you. The worst scenario is when you realize you have a flat tire at night, especially on the road that is not illuminated. Worn tire, hitting a road obstacle or nail can be a reason why your tire has completely deflated.
If you know that in the area nearby there is a car tire shop, you can ride there at a low speed with hazard lights turned on and ask for help. However, be ready that during movement the tire may move off a rim which may cause significant damage not only to tire, but rim itself. Therefore you may need to search for their replacement like those you have already installed on your vehicle.
If you have a spare wheel, place it instead of a flat one, so you could safely get to a tire shop and ask for assistance. If, unfortunately, there is no spare tire you may have to call for towing service.
Is It Possible to Drive On a Flat Tire?
Driving on a flat tire is not the best idea. Such a tire significantly influences a steering making car`s behavior unpredictable and hazardous for you, your passengers and other drivers on the road. Moreover, if you drive on a flat tire, other vehicle components such as rim, suspension and brakes may sustain irreparable damage.
When you notice that you have a flat tire, the first thing to do is to pull off from the road and turn on hazard lights (and/or place a warning triangle at a distance of 20-25 meters from the back of the car), so other drivers could see you, especially it is needed when evening comes or road visibility is limited by the fog.
If you can, replace the flat tire with a spare one. It will give you an opportunity to get to the nearest car tire service safely for either flat tire repair or replacement.
If, unfortunately, you don’t have a spare tire in your vehicle, then you may have to call for a towing service. Of course, this leads to additional spending, but it is much better than bringing the risk of damaging your vehicle which may cost you a fortune.
How To Prevent Flat Tire on My Vehicle?
Check your tire pressure every week
This procedure is not complicated, meaning that you can perform it on your own. Do not hesitate to run a tire pressure check on all the tires of your vehicle (including the spare) once a week.
To make a pressure check you`ll need two things:
First, to know what pressure is recommended for your vehicle – it is mentioned on a special sticker that can be found either on the driver’s door or inside of a fuel tank lid cap (or in your vehicle`s owner manual) with the recommended pressure mentioned in PSI or Bar.
Second, a tire pressure gauge. You can buy it at the car shop, luckily it is not expensive, moreover having one in your vehicle allows you to check the pressure of every tire to be sure that everything is fine.
Examine and rotate tires frequently
Rotation of the tires helps to make their wear more even resulting in longer lifespan. It is advised to rotate your tires every 5.000 to 10.000 miles. When it comes time to carry out a scheduled vehicle maintenance, it is a good opportunity to rotate your tires.
Also a visual tire check is a good possibility to find out whether there is any sign of increased tread wear, outside damage or sidewall damage that may lead to excessive pressure loss resulting in a flat tire.
Avoid road obstacles
Small pieces of broken glass or shredded metal, potholes, debris, bumps and nails are always waiting for an inattentive driver, especially at night. Pieces of glass and metal can easily leave small and inconspicuous cuts on your tire which may soon result in a flat tire.
Usually such trash on the road is left by construction area workers or due to car accidents. When driving through such a road you have to either move slowly and be very attentive or choose an alternate way.
