A flat at highway speed starts as a handling event. The instinct is to brake hard and steer away from the pull. Both make it worse.
The first ten seconds
- Hold the steering wheel firmly and keep the car pointed straight.
- Ease off the accelerator instead of braking hard.
- Let the vehicle slow gradually, then signal and move right.
- Aim for the widest shoulder or nearest exit you can reach.
Where you stop matters more than how fast you stop
Driving a short distance on a ruined tire is usually acceptable if it gets you off a narrow shoulder and into a parking lot or an exit ramp. A wheel is cheaper than the risk of working next to live traffic. Avoid stopping on a curve, just past a crest, or anywhere approaching drivers won't see you until late.
Should you change it yourself?
If you're in a lit, flat parking lot with room to work, you have a full-size or usable spare, and you're comfortable with the jack, changing it yourself is reasonable. If you're on an interstate shoulder, on a slope, in rain, at night, or the flat is on the traffic side of the vehicle, calling is the better decision. Many drivers also find out too late that their car carries no spare at all — a lot of newer vehicles ship with an inflator kit instead.
Check today whether your vehicle actually has a spare, a jack and a lug wrench. Finding out on the shoulder is the wrong time.
After the spare is on
Temporary spares are speed- and distance-limited, usually around 50 mph and a short range. Treat them as a way to reach a tire shop, not a replacement. Get the lug nuts torqued properly and the damaged tire inspected — a sidewall puncture is not repairable, even if the tread looks fine.
For roadside tire help in the Atlanta area at any hour, see our Flat Tire Service page or call (404) 915-3463.
Related service
Flat Tire Service in Atlanta