In the moment
- Grip the wheel firmly — a deflating tyre, especially a front, will pull the car to one side.
- Don't brake hard. Sudden braking on a failed tyre is what causes loss of control. Ease off the accelerator and let the car slow itself.
- Indicate early and steer gently towards somewhere safe to stop.
- Once stopped: hazards on, and resist the urge to inspect the tyre from the traffic side of the car.
Around town
Aim for a side street, a car park, or a stretch of kerb away from junctions and bends. A few hundred metres at walking pace on a flat is survivable for the wheel if it gets you somewhere safe — but no further: driving any real distance on a flat destroys the tyre and can write off the wheel and damage the car, turning a one-tyre job into an expensive one.
On the motorway
- If the car is still controllable, leave at the next exit or services if you possibly can — that's by far the safest outcome.
- If you can't, pull onto the hard shoulder or an emergency area, as far left as possible, wheels turned to the left, hazards on.
- Get everyone out through the left-hand doors and behind the barrier, well away from the vehicle. Leave animals in the car.
- Never attempt to change a wheel on a hard shoulder. No tyre is worth standing next to live traffic for. This is exactly what professional recovery and safe-stop procedures exist for.
- On smart motorways with no hard shoulder, head for an emergency area (orange SOS bay). If you're ever stranded in a live lane: hazards on, stay belted, and call 999 — follow National Highways guidance.
Once you're safe
Now it's just logistics. From a driveway, a car park, a service area or a safe roadside spot, a mobile fitter can come to you — assess the tyre, repair the puncture where it's safe to, or fit a replacement on the spot. No tow to a garage, no abandoning the car overnight.
Our emergency callout runs 24 hours. Send your location on WhatsApp or call, tell us what happened, and we'll give you an honest ETA on the spot.
The two-minute prevention plan
- Check pressures monthly — most blowouts start life as slow under-inflation.
- Glance at sidewalls when you check: bulges and deep cracks are pre-failure warnings.
- Know where your locking wheel nut key lives. Whoever fits your tyre will need it.
Stuck right now?
24-hour emergency callout. Send your location — we'll give you an honest ETA immediately.