Keep this simple. Put safety first.
Flat tyre or blowout: what to do.
A bang, loss of pressure or sudden pull can be frightening. Keep control, get to safety and then arrange help. Do not use your phone while driving or approach traffic to inspect the tyre.
Serious injury or immediate danger? Call 999 or 112 first. If stranded in a live motorway lane and unable to leave safely, stay belted, keep hazards on and ask 999 for police.
Last reviewed: 7 November 2026 · LCDriveLTD
Safety comes first
Flat tyre? Start with these six steps.
Your safety comes before the tyre. Use your phone only once you are safely stopped.
- 01
Stay calm. Keep control.
Hold the wheel firmly. Avoid sudden steering or hard braking; reduce speed gradually and stop somewhere safe.
- 02
Move away from traffic.
If you can safely reach one, use a service area, exit or lay-by. On a motorway, an emergency area or hard shoulder is a last resort.
- 03
Hazards on. Get safe.
Once stopped, use hazard lights. Only leave the vehicle if safe, using the side away from traffic. Wait well clear, behind a barrier where possible.
- 04
Danger? Call 999 first.
Serious injury or immediate danger: call 999 or 112. If stranded in a live lane and unable to leave safely, stay belted, keep hazards on and ask 999 for police.
- 05
Send us your location.
From safety, call or WhatsApp your postcode or location pin, vehicle and tyre size if known. Never step towards traffic to photograph a tyre.
- 06
Wait for confirmed help.
Do not attempt a motorway repair or place a warning triangle there. We confirm the tyre, price and ETA; recovery may be needed before fitting.
Guidance: The Highway Code and National Highways. National Highways covers England; elsewhere follow the relevant road authority and emergency services.
Safely stopped? Call 07904 781880On a motorway: getting safe comes first.
A service area or an exit is preferable if safely reachable. Hard shoulders are exposed to fast traffic. If you can exit safely, use the side furthest from traffic and wait well away, behind a barrier where possible. If you cannot get out safely, remain belted and call 999. Tell the operator if anyone cannot leave because of a disability or other difficulty.
Do not attempt a tyre repair on a motorway or put a warning triangle there. Do not cross traffic lanes. In an emergency area, use the SOS phone and follow the road operator’s instructions before rejoining. In England, National Highways can also advise on 0300 123 5000; it is not a replacement for 999 in immediate danger.
Once you are safely stopped.
Call 07904 781880 or send your location on WhatsApp. Give your road, direction, nearby junction or safe landmark; share a location pin if useful. Include tyre size and quantity only if you can check them safely.
The team confirms a safe working location, tyre availability, full quote and ETA. Recovery may be necessary before fitting. Do not continue a journey on a flat conventional tyre; run-flat limits depend on the specific vehicle and tyre, and do not override visible damage or unsafe handling.