Tyre blowout: what to do at the wheel, and afterwards

• Grip the steering wheel firmly with both hands and keep the car straight
• Do not brake hard. Ease off the accelerator and let the car slow down
• Brake gently only once the speed has dropped
• Steer to the safest place you can reach and put the hazard lights on

• Get everyone out on the side away from traffic and well clear of the road
• On a motorway, wait behind the barrier. Do not put out a warning triangle and do not try to change the wheel
• On a smart motorway with no hard shoulder, get to an emergency area if the car will make it. If you are stuck in a live lane and cannot get out safely, keep your seatbelt on and call 999
• Then call us, from behind the barrier, with the road, the nearest junction and the direction you were heading

• Running a tyre under-inflated, which overheats it
• Overloading the car or van
• Old tyres whose rubber has hardened and cracked
• Hitting a pothole or kerb hard, sometimes days earlier

A tyre that has blown out cannot be repaired, and the wheel should be checked for damage. A mobile fitter can bring a new tyre to where you have stopped. Call us with the size from one of the other tyres and your location.