One of the scariest experiences when you drive, especially if you’ve never had it happen to you, is having a flat tire. There are moments when you suddenly hear a sound that you’re not used to and the car begins to drive funny. When the tire goes flat, we tend to want to drive to a service station so that we can have a safe place to take care of the problem, but you shouldn’t drive on a flat tire at all. A flat is caused by several different things, but the fact is, you need to pull over and stop driving when you get a flat.
Reasons for a Flat Tire
If you run over nails or glass on the road, you could have a flat tire shortly after this happens. Your tire that goes flat could have a defect that caused a bump or bulge to rupture or you could have cracks on the surface of the tire that goes deeper than you expect. When a tire is at the end of its lifecycle, it could rupture and stop working and if you don’t have your tires properly inflated, you’re going to eventually experience a flat.
What Should You Do When Your Tire Goes Flat?
Once you hear the noise of a flat tire, you need to pull off to the side of the road right away. Make sure you’re a safe distance off the road to be able to work on your tire and take care of things such as changing to the small spare tire in your vehicle. Don’t try and go to a service station on a flat, especially if the nearest service station is a few miles away. The damage you can cause to your vehicle when you do this is extreme.
Driving Causes Added Risk
When you think you can make it to the nearest service station or that you won’t have to drive too far on the flat tire, you need to think again. There’s more than your vehicle and the tire at risk when you drive on a flat tire. The tire could begin to break apart and cause other drivers to deal with debris coming from your car. Your car can also become damaged. Many of the items around your wheel can be expensive to replace or repair and if you drive on a flat tire you’re putting all these items at risk.
Avoid a Flat Tire
There are ways to avoid a flat tire. Like eating right, an ounce of prevention will keep you driving right. Make sure your tires are properly inflated, they are the right size, they are rated for your vehicle, are rotated regularly, and inspected often. Look at the tires whenever you get ready to drive to make sure they are still in good condition. Try and practice good, conservative, driving habits and your tires will last longer for you. Avoid a flat tire with this advice, but if you have a flat, please don’t drive on the flat tire.
