Just about everyone will get a flat tire at least once while driving. Learning how to change a flat tire is a right of passage that young drivers often learn in driver’s education classes or in their driveways before they get their licenses.
No matter how prepared you are, experiencing a flat tire while driving and needing to change it in order to get home can be a stressful experience. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to make the process go more smoothly if it happens to you:
- Check your vehicle’s spare tire—Just because your vehicle’s spare tire has never been used doesn’t mean it’s safe to use. Depending on its age, it may be severely underinflated or even dry rotted. Check its condition and fill it with air to the recommended PSI.
- Never change your tire on the side of the road—The only safe place to change a spare tire is in a driveway or parking lot away from traffic. Changing a spare tire on a highway, interstate, or even a rural road is dangerous. If you can’t make it to a safe location to change your tire, call a tow truck.
- Replace the tire right away—The spare tires in most vehicles are only designed to get you home or to a repair shop after experiencing a flat, not to be driven on long-term. Unless your spare tire is a full-sized tire, swap it out ASAP with a full-size tire that matches your remaining three tires rather than keep driving on it.
At Ponce Law, we know that drivers must always expect the unexpected. If you or someone you love is hurt in a crash in Middle Tennessee, we want to help. Contact our Nashville auto accident lawyers today for a free consultation.
