What To Do When You Have A Tyre Blow Out
A tyre blow out can be a very scary thing to experience, particularly if you are driving at speed along the motorway at the time. The vehicle will become difficult to handle, so it is crucial you can bring the vehicle to a safe stop and avoid an accident.
Blow outs can be caused by a variety of things; the most common being low tyre pressures (we may have mentioned the importance of those previously…!). Under inflated tyres mean the weight of the car can push the tyre down and make it bulge. At high speeds bulge ripples, and the resulting friction will heat the tyre. There is only so much of this the tyre can withstand before it bursts.
When one of your front car tyres suffers a blow out, you will feel the car pulling strongly to one side. Hold tightly to the steering wheel and head to the hard shoulder. If you have to use the brakes then be gentle as it can exacerbate the car pulling to one side. If it’s a rear tyre the car will begin to weave. Using the brakes is okay as it will transfer weight away from the rear, but it may cause the car to slide. In both situations it is better to let the car slow down naturally.
Once you have stopped safely, you can continue as you would for any breakdown. If you are on the side of the motorway you should call a breakdown service to come and fit the spare tyre. If it’s a space saver, you will then need to have a replacement full size car tyre fitted, and you can have the condition of the wheel checked at the same time, as driving on it could have damaged it.