What To Do When You Have a Flat Tire

Flat tires are never convenient and can often be downright dangerous. Whether you find a flat tire when walking out to your parked car in the morning or suddenly encounter one while driving down the road, follow our tips to learn what to do to ensure your safety.

Most important -- If you get a flat tire while driving, brake gently and safely pull off to the side of the road. Try to avoid braking too quickly or swerving, as this may cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Turn on your hazard lights as soon as you have control of the car. If you can, turn on to a side street or into a parking lot. If you cannot make it that far, pull over onto the shoulder on the right side of the road.

Once you get to a safe place, you can more easily assess the situation and figure out next steps. Resist the temptation to drive your car farther with a flat tire as this can create a hazard for you and other drivers on the road. You also risk additional damage to your car.

First thing’s first: See if you can find out what caused the flat tire. Carefully check the tire tread and sidewall for a nail, screw or other sharp object that may have punctured the tire. If the object is in the center of the tread, the tire maybe repairable. However, if the damage is in the sidewall of the tire, it will need to be replaced. The sidewalls are designed to handle most of the pressure from inside the tire and a plug or patch will not hold up over time.

We do not recommend self patch or plug kits in an emergency. These can be unreliable and if you are not familiar with how to use them, you could risk driving on an unsafe, already damaged tire.

If you have an inflated spare tire in your vehicle and you are experienced in installing it, now would be the time. Just be sure that you are in a safe location away from traffic, have your hazard lights are on and you have all of the proper tools to safely change your tire. If you have any doubts, it’s best to call a professional.

We understand that not everyone is handy when it comes to changing a tire and would prefer to have assistance. If that’s the case, Zohr is available to help you assess the situation, make a repair, and get back on the road safely.

Zohr offers mobile tire repair and replacement services. Call or text us at (816) 800-9175 and we will come to you on-site. We will always try to repair the tire first, but if the tire cannot be safely repaired, we always carry a replacement tire with us to get you back on the road efficiently.

A note on run flat tires. We do not repair run flat tires because it is often hard to gauge the extent of damage to the internal structure of the tire. If repaired, a run flat tire can be unsafe to drive on, potentially leading to a blowout. It’s always safer to replace a run flat tire than attempting to repair it.