A fear most drivers have is having a tire blowout on the highway. Traveling at a high speed and your tire blows, there is a lot of potential for an accident.

Today, I am going to give you some tips to help mitigate your risk of an accident. Not only do you have to worry about stopping your car with 3 tires, but changing your tire on the side of the highway.

Jon, a car accident attorney in Nashville said “The safest thing to do is pull as far off the highway as possible, and try to have the tire needing to be changed away from the highway too. Have someone watch on coming traffic, being on the highway greatly increases the risk of being hit by a car”

Driving When The Tire Blows Out Tips

 

1. When your car starts to shake and you hear the tire pop, grab the steering wheel with both hands, tightly.

2. Don’t slam the brakes! Take your foot off the gas so the car slows down gradually.

3. Look for a break in traffic to work your way to the shoulder.

4. Turn on your blinker for the direction you are headed, to let the other drivers now you are changing lanes.

5. As you are nearing the shoulder, slowly pump your brakes to help you slow down more. If you have room to get off the shoulder into grass, continue to slow down more before getting off the pavement.

6. Get the car to a complete stop, and turn on your flashers.

7. You can open your hood, this lets traffic know you are broke down and maybe a cop or tow truck will see you and stop.

8. Assess your damage to see if the car is safe to drive once you change the tire.

9. If you have a passenger, have them look for oncoming vehicles, so they can wear you if someone veers off the road.

10. If you decide to wait for help, stay far away from your car and the highway. Incase someone hits your car, it doesn’t slam into you.

 

Having a tire blowout is never fun, but it can happen. If it does happen to you, remain calm, and carefully slow down and get your car off the road.

To help prevent having tire blowouts, check the tread on your tire regularly, and have them changed if needed. Having your tires rotated with every oil change, or at least every other oil change will help your tires last longer.

Stay safe, and stay prepared. When we never know when something like this might happen, and it is not only our safety, but the other vehicles on the road we need to think about.