Flat tyre? Here's exactly what to do

A flat tyre is stressful — but the right moves keep you safe and get you going again fast. Here's exactly what to do the moment you notice a flat, whether you're on the driveway or at the side of the road, and how to get a new tyre fitted without driving anywhere on it.

The golden rule: don't keep driving on a flat. It's dangerous and it can destroy the wheel and the tyre beyond repair. Get to safety, then get help to you.

First, get to safety

If you're moving when it goes:

Grip the wheel firmly, ease off the accelerator, and don't brake hard — let the car slow gradually. Put your hazard lights on and steer smoothly to a safe spot: a lay-by, hard shoulder or side street, well away from moving traffic. On a motorway, get onto the hard shoulder or into an emergency refuge area, exit the car via the left-hand doors, and wait behind the barrier.

Can you drive on a flat tyre?

No — not beyond crawling a few metres to safety. Driving on a flat quickly ruins the tyre, can damage the wheel and the car's suspension, and badly affects steering and braking. Even a short trip to a garage risks turning a repairable puncture into a full replacement, and it's genuinely unsafe. If the tyre is flat, the car stays put and help comes to you.

Your options when you've got a flat

1. A mobile tyre fitter comes to you. The safest and easiest option — we bring the right tyre to your location and fit it on the spot, so you never drive on the flat. Ideal at home, at work or at the roadside.

2. Fit the spare (if you have one). Many newer cars don't carry a spare any more — they have a repair kit or run-flats instead. If you do have a spare and you're somewhere safe to change it, it'll get you moving, but it's a temporary space-saver, not a long-term fix.

3. Use the repair goo kit. Only works for small tread punctures, not sidewall damage or blowouts, and it's a get-you-home measure at best.

Repair or replace?

A small puncture in the central tread can often be safely repaired. Damage to the sidewall or shoulder, a large hole, or a tyre that's been driven on while flat usually means replacement. We'll assess it when we reach you — if it can be safely fixed, a puncture repair is cheaper; if not, we'll fit a new one there and then.

Spare wheel vs calling a mobile fitter

Prevent the next one

Check your tyre pressures monthly and before long trips, keep an eye on tread (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and don't ignore a slow puncture — a tyre that keeps losing air will eventually let you down. If yours is wearing unevenly, it may be worth a wheel alignment check too.