Guides
What to do if a tyre blows on the road
What you do in the first three seconds decides the outcome: do not brake.
The first three seconds
When a tyre blows the car pulls towards the blown side. Braking on reflex is the most dangerous response — the weight shifts forward and the car gets away from you. Do the opposite: hold the wheel firmly with both hands, ease off the accelerator and let the car slow itself. Do not make a sharp correction with the steering.
Once you have stopped
Pull as far right as you can, onto the hard shoulder. Switch on the hazards. Check the mirror before getting out and use the right-hand door if you can. Place the warning triangle 30 metres back in town, 150 metres on an intercity road. Passengers wait behind the barrier, not in the car — on a motorway staying in the car is the riskiest option.
If there is no spare
Most new cars carry a repair kit instead of a spare, and that kit only seals small punctures; it does nothing for a sidewall tear or a large cut. Do not try to drive on: the rim gets damaged and the tyre breaks up completely within a few hundred metres. At that point someone has to come to you.
What to say when you call
You do not need to find an address to describe where you are — the road, the kilometre marker or the nearest sign is enough. Tell us the vehicle and, if you can read it, the tyre size, and we arrive with the right tyre so it finishes in one trip.
We do this work
Puncture repair
A leak from a nail, a screw or a small cut can usually be repaired without replacing the tyre. If the damage is on the sidewall, repair is not safe and we say so plainly.