Ask any expert in the field of mobile puncture repairs and they’ll tell you that while blowouts and flats are spectacularly common, almost no motorist at all knows how to deal with one when it occurs. There’s so much to cover when it comes to road safety that certain things will always be overlooked, but at the same time there’s no disputing the importance of knowing what to do when the car you’re driving suffers a blowout. Being ill-prepared can lead to blind panic and poor decision making, transforming a wholly controllable situation into something much more serious. And of course, it’s a typical case of most motorists not giving a second thought to the subject until they’re faced with it head-on.
Identifying a Tyre Problem
In most instances, a flat tyre is something that occurs quite gradually and gives the driver plenty of time and therefore advance warnings of the problem. As such, it’s important to be aware of what kinds of signs may indicate a tyre that’s on its way to becoming a problematic flat, which include the following:
- Shuddering Wheels – If at any time you detect any unusual wobbling or shaking via the steering column, this is most likely the sign of a tyre that’s slowly deflating or needs an air top-up.
- Heavy Steering – When the car’s steering begins to feel heavier than normal in one of both directions, this could again be something to do with a tyre pressure issue.
- Drifting – Another common indicator of a puncture or flat is when the car appears to be pulling or drifting to one side of the road or the other, making it necessary to increase the effort to drive in a straight line.
- Knocking – If there’s an audible knocking sound which changes in volume in accordance with the speed at which the car is moving, you should immediately pull over and check your tyres thoroughly.
Handling a Blowout
A blowout refers to a scenario where one or more of the car’s tyres suddenly and totally loses all pressure in something of an explosion or rupture, while the car is still travelling at speed. Needless to say, this presents an incredibly dangerous situation for the car’s passengers and all other road users and the driver’s control is immediately impacted.
In terms of safely handling a blowout, the biggest problem here is the way in which it’s actually advisable to go against your immediate instincts. The knee-jerk reaction is of course to slam on the brakes and swerve as quickly as possible into the emergency lane, though in both respects this is likely to make things considerably worse rather than better.
Instead, experts suggest bearing the following guidelines in mind should a blowout occur while travelling at speed:
- Remain calm and do not allow panic to cloud your judgement.
- Avoid the temptation to slam on the brakes as doing so could cause the car to veer off in one direction or the other – 25% of traction has been lost.
- Concentrate on regaining full control of the vehicle before even thinking about manoeuvring to the emergency lane. Make efforts to drive in a straight line and reduce speed very gradually by gently tapping the brake pedal without undue force.
- Keep both hands firmly on the wheel at all times and fight the car’s attempts to jump to one side or the other.
- Watch all mirrors carefully in order to determine the hazards around you and determine when and where the best time would be to attempt to pull over safely.
- If the car enters a swerve, avoid the instinct to begin using the brake to try and regain control as it’s often more effective to gently tap the accelerator pedal.
- Make sure you hit your hazard lights as early on as possible to warn other road users.
- Use downward gear shifting to help bring the car to a gentle stop, rather than relying on the brakes alone or coasting.
- After having your tyre replaced and continuing your journey, consider visiting a garage as soon as possible to make sure you have no problems with wheel alignment or other mechanical issues that may have contributed to the blowout.
With a little calm and common sense, the vast majority of blowouts can be recovered from without incident. However, the same cannot be said for cars breaking the set speed limits of any given road as while it may feel as if you have full control at the time, lose a tyre at break-neck speed and your chances of walking away from the incident are slim to say the least.