What to Do When Your Tyre Bursts

The overall quality of road tyres has improved dramatically in recent decades, but they are not indestructible. They are still prone to blow outs in extreme weather, when colliding with sharp or rigid objects, or when some manufacturing problem and/or general wear and tear has left them weakened.

Therefore, we should all of us be aware of what exactly is the right course of action when our tyre bursts. There are many situations where it can happen in which different actions might be needed. We’ll endeavour to be as thorough as possible.

1. Do NOT Hit the Brakes Hard

The first item in our list is actually a stern warning on what not to do, and that’s slam on the brakes. It may feel instinctive and logical to go for the brake as hard as possible. Reducing your speed is important in a blowout situation, but you have to do it in a controlled way.

Suddenly pressing down on the brake pedal hard will throw you completely off balance, possibly even throwing the car into a spin. First, you should be careful never to exceed speed limits, because in this way you’ll be at relatively safe speeds in the event of a sudden blowout. This brings us neatly to the next step.

2. Ease off Acceleration Gradually

Just as sudden braking will not be helpful, neither will sudden deceleration. Ease off the accelerator slowly, focusing on keeping the car in line and balanced as it continues to slow down. The blowout itself will have caused some sudden deceleration, so you have to counter that with careful action.

3. Maintain Your Course

If the road allows, keep your vehicle going in the direction you were heading when the blowout happens. The tyre bursting may try to shift you in a slightly different direction, but don’t respond by trying to heave the car in the opposite direction, this will also contribute to you losing control of the car.

4. Let the Car Come to a Stop

Once you’ve stabilized your direction, continue to ease off the accelerator until you are coasting. The car will continue to slow at a safe rate, eventually coming to a stop. Wait until your speeds are slower before pulling over to the hard shoulder or other roadside spot.

5. Activate Your Hazard Lights and Call for Help

Once you’ve stopped completely, turn on your car’s emergency or hazard lights and then contact your breakdown/recovery service. If you are on the highway, then it’s doubly important to stay in your car, even when stopped in the hard shoulder.

We Can’t All Be Experts

Some of us may feel confident and knowledgeable enough to change the tyre ourselves. If you have the spare, and know what to do next, there’s no reason you can’t do it as long as your careful. Having said that, don’t be a hero. Call for help at the earliest opportunity so you can get off that busy road and back on track.