Be Prepared for a Flat Tyre. It Could Happen to You

As a driver there are many things which can happen that involve testing your skills above and beyond those that arise in the standard Highway Code. The least common might involve such things as a deer driving a double-decker bus down the wrong side of the road with his boot open or a flock of geese swooping down and picking your car off the road as you drive along and carrying you to Namibia. The most common of which is a flat tyre. These can occur in any number of situations, none of which are convenient or welcome as the process, unless you work for a garage or roadside recovery driver, will be relatively unfamiliar.



There are a number of things which can cause a tyre to puncture. One being a nail or other sharp object which can be driven over while driving or parking and lodges in the tread or tyre wall causing a hole from which air quickly escapes. Another thing would be general wear and tear taking its toll on tyres coupled with a sudden jolt such as those caused by pot holes. This can be avoided by repairing or replacing old tyres before they get anywhere near the state where they are likely to burst. Tyres found to be beyond a certain level of wear are illegal.



Not only are bald tyres illegal, they are extremely dangerous. One possible result of dangerously old tyres is that they may cause a puncture, which at high speed can cause a serious accident. Another is that they will have a serious lack of grip, which will mean they will be much less effective at stopping the car under breaking and holding the road when turning corners.



Once a tyre is flat, you have two options, take it to your nearest garage and replace it or have it repaired. If the tyre has not suffered additional damage in the aftermath or the puncture, it is usually fairly inexpensive to repair.



After you have discovered you have a puncture you will need to replace it with your spare immediately. Do not drive on a flat tyre or you will have less chance of repairing it and you might find yourself calling Swedish repair men or Belfast taxis depending on where you've gotten stuck. Paying for regular Belfast taxi fares will certainly end up costing you more than just replacing your tyre in the first place.



To replace the wheel, make sure you are not stopped in a dangerous location. Then locate your spare wheel, jack and tyre iron. Loosen the wheel nuts with the tyre iron before jacking the car off the ground with the jack. Remove the wheel and replace with the spare. Put the wheel nuts on finger tight making sure the wheel is all the way onto the wheel base, then lower the car off the jack and tighten the nuts fully. Well done, now get to a garage and repair/replace your flat tyre as soon as possible.