What to do when your tire blows out.
There is almost no worse feeling that the sudden loss of control from a tire blowout. The vehicle start to make loud noises, wobble, starts to pull one side or another, does not respond to changes of direction…and all of it can happen in seconds.To increase your chances for a positive outcome, keep the following in mind:
- Keep your hands firmly on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
- Keep the steering wheel steady.
- Do not slam on the brakes but take your foot off the accelerator and slow down slowly (if you can). Braking hard can cause your car to swerve and cause an accident.
- Put on your hazard lights so people know there is a problem. If on the highway do this if only in the far right lane. If in other lanes use your turn signal to work your way over, then put on hazard lights.
- Identify the best place to pull to the side and stop – a “safe zone” apart from the main flow of traffic. On a highway this can be the shoulder. Avoid being at the bend of a road.
- When you are slowing down aim for the “safe zone” that you have identified while keeping a close eye on traffic. With your hazard lights on people should realize you have an issue and let you get to the side.
- Park and get yourself and your passengers out safely without putting anyone in danger from passing cars. Move a safe distance away from car.
Lots of cars these days do not carry a full spare tire, instead what you will find is the so called “doughnut”. If you decide to change the blown out tire with a non-full size tire, remember to drive slower and get to a tire shop as soon as you can.
