Can I drive a short distance on a flat tyre?

Only far enough to reach a genuinely safe place to stop, and slowly. Driving any real distance destroys the tyre sidewall and often damages the wheel rim as well.

How fast can I drive on a space saver spare?

Most space savers are limited to 50 mph and a restricted mileage. The limit is printed on the wheel itself, and you should replace it with a full size tyre as soon as you can.

What if I have lost my locking wheel nut key?

A tyre fitter or recovery operator can usually remove the nut with a specialist extractor, but it is not a roadside job for most drivers. In that situation, recovery to a garage is normally the quickest route.

Do tyre sealant kits actually work?

They work for small punctures in the tread caused by nails or screws. They will not seal sidewall damage, a blowout, or a tyre that has unseated from the rim.

Is it safe to change a wheel on the hard shoulder?

No. Even with hazard lights on, the hard shoulder is one of the most dangerous places on the road network. Stand behind the barrier and call for assistance instead.

Flat Tyre Guide: What to Do at the Roadside in the UK

Recognising a deflating tyre before it fails

Most flats give warning. The steering starts to pull to one side, the car feels vague or floaty at the back, or you hear a rhythmic slapping sound that speeds up with the car. A tyre pressure monitoring warning light may appear before you feel anything at all. If any of that happens, ease off the accelerator gradually rather than braking hard, and start looking for somewhere safe to stop. Continuing to drive on a deflated tyre destroys the sidewall within a few hundred metres and can wreck the wheel rim as well, turning a cheap repair into an expensive one.

Stopping in the right place

Where you stop matters more than how quickly you stop. Aim for a level, firm surface well away from moving traffic: a side road, a layby, a car park or a service area. Avoid soft verges, which sink under a jack, and avoid stopping on a bend or the crest of a hill where you cannot be seen. On a motorway, use the hard shoulder or the next emergency refuge area, put your hazard lights on, and leave the vehicle through the passenger door with everyone standing behind the barrier. Changing a wheel on the hard shoulder is genuinely dangerous and is one job you should not attempt.

Deciding whether to change it yourself

Changing a wheel is straightforward if four things are true: you are somewhere safe and level, you have a usable spare, you have the correct tools including the locking wheel nut key, and you are physically comfortable doing it. If any one of those is missing, calling for help is the sensible call rather than the lazy one. The locking wheel nut key is the item that most often derails a roadside wheel change. It usually lives in the boot with the tools, in the glovebox or under the spare, and it is worth confirming you actually have yours before you need it.

Changing a wheel safely, step by step

Apply the handbrake, put the car in first gear or park, and chock the wheel diagonally opposite the flat if you have anything suitable. Loosen the wheel nuts by roughly a quarter turn while the tyre is still on the ground, because the wheel will simply spin once it is lifted. Place the jack under the manufacturer's jacking point, which is a reinforced lip on the sill marked with a notch or an arrow, then raise the car until the flat tyre is just clear of the ground. Remove the nuts, swap the wheel, and hand tighten the nuts in a diagonal star pattern rather than going round in a circle. Lower the car, then fully tighten in the same star pattern. Never put any part of your body under a car supported only by a jack.

Space savers, run flats and repair kits

A space saver spare is a temporary wheel, usually limited to 50 mph and a short distance. It changes how the car handles and how the anti-lock braking behaves, so drive gently and get the proper tyre replaced quickly. Run flat tyres let you continue for a limited distance at reduced speed after a puncture, but they cannot be driven on indefinitely and most cannot be repaired afterwards. Sealant repair kits, now supplied instead of a spare on many new cars, work reasonably well on a small tread puncture from a nail, but they will not fix a sidewall split, a blowout or a tyre that has come off the rim. If the kit inflates the tyre and the pressure holds, drive straight to a tyre fitter.

When to call a recovery service instead

Call for recovery if the tyre has blown out and the sidewall is shredded, if there is no spare and the repair kit will not hold pressure, if the wheel nuts are seized or the locking key is missing, if you are on a motorway or a fast dual carriageway, or if the car is loaded, low, or fitted with wheels you cannot safely lift. A recovery operator can either change the wheel at the roadside in a controlled way or load the vehicle and take it to a tyre fitter of your choosing. It is also the right call if you simply do not feel safe: no tyre is worth standing in a live lane for.

Reducing the chance of the next one

Check tyre pressures monthly when the tyres are cold, using the figures on the door pillar sticker rather than the maximum printed on the tyre. Look for embedded stones, screws and nails, uneven wear across the tread, and any bulges or cuts in the sidewall, which are an immediate replacement. The legal minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.6 mm across the central three quarters of the tyre, but grip in wet weather falls away noticeably below around 3 mm. Keeping a torch, gloves and a small board to spread the jack load in the boot turns a miserable job into a manageable one.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive a short distance on a flat tyre?: Only far enough to reach a genuinely safe place to stop, and slowly. Driving any real distance destroys the tyre sidewall and often damages the wheel rim as well.
How fast can I drive on a space saver spare?: Most space savers are limited to 50 mph and a restricted mileage. The limit is printed on the wheel itself, and you should replace it with a full size tyre as soon as you can.
What if I have lost my locking wheel nut key?: A tyre fitter or recovery operator can usually remove the nut with a specialist extractor, but it is not a roadside job for most drivers. In that situation, recovery to a garage is normally the quickest route.
Do tyre sealant kits actually work?: They work for small punctures in the tread caused by nails or screws. They will not seal sidewall damage, a blowout, or a tyre that has unseated from the rim.
Is it safe to change a wheel on the hard shoulder?: No. Even with hazard lights on, the hard shoulder is one of the most dangerous places on the road network. Stand behind the barrier and call for assistance instead.

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Flat tyre: what to do at the roadside