Whether your tyres got falt by a sharp rock, stray nail or any other hazard, one thing is for sure, flat tyres are a major issue. The last place you want to be is stuck on the side of the road in nowhere. Driving on a flat tyre is a tempting solution to get you out of there.
But is it bad to drive on a flat tyre? Should you buy Cheap Tyres that are run flat? In this blog post, we will discuss what happens if you drive on flat tyres and what you need to know beforehand.
Should You Drive On A Flat Tyre?
No, we don’t recommend you to drive your vehicle on a flat tyre. But, sometimes it may be the only way to travel a short distance on a flat tyre such as when pulling over to the side of the road.
But driving on a flat tyre is a clear path to put you and your passengers at risk and can damage your vehicle as well. If your vehicle is equipped with run-flat tyres, you can normally drive it 50 miles at up to 50mph on a punctured tyre.
Not only does driving your vehicle on a flat tyre dangerously poor your vehicle’s handling, but it may cause structural damage to the wheel, alignment, brakes and potentially other components like your suspension and steering system.
It may be tempting to drive your vehicle to the nearest repair shop, but by driving on a flat, will end up paying to repair much more than just changing your flat tyre.
So if you are not supposed to drive on a flat, what should you do instead? The first thing you do is safely park your vehicle on the side of the road so you can check the problem properly. From there, you have got a few options.
You have two options, you can either replace the flat with a spare tyre or use an emergency sealant to fill any punctures. But, emergency sealants usually only seal tyres with punctures that are ¼ inch or smaller. They will not help if your tyre is torn, blown out, or has a large puncture.
If you don’t have a spare tyre or the sealant won’t work then it’s time to call roadside assistance. Wheat you need a tyre change, a tow to the nearest garage, or other emergency automotive services, a road assistance service can used to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
How To Avoid Driving On Flat Tyre?
The best way to avoid driving your vehicle on a flat tyre is by not getting one in the first place. Here are a few things you can do to reduce the chances of a flat or blown-out tyre:
Check Tyre Pressure Monthly
The key to tyre maintenance is to check your tyre pressure regularly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends you check the pressure on all of your tyres including the spare at least once a month. Tyre pressure gauges are inexpensive and can help save you from tyre trouble down the road.
Ensure to check tyre pressure only if the tyres are cold or at normal temperature. It means checking tyre pressure at least three hours after driving. Not only can driving with underinfalted tyres result in higher fuel consumption, but they are more prone to wear and puncture as well.
Your Tyre Monitoring System (TPMS) may not show warning lights for low tyre pressure until a tyre loses a significant amount of air or if all tyres are equally low, and visual inspection be tricky many tyres lose as much as half of their pressure before appearing flatter.
The best you can do is to use a tyre pressure gauge to regularly check that your tyres are at the manufacturer-recommended pressure. You can find your vehicle’s recommended tyre pressure in your owner’s manual or inside the driver-side door jamb.
Inspect & Rotate Tyres Regularly
In addition to checking your tyre pressure monthly, visually check and rotate your tyres as well. Tyre rotations help spread out the wear on your tyres to help them last longer. In general, you should rotate your tyres every 6,000 to 10,000 miles. As a good rule of thumb, plan to have your tyres rotated each time you get your oil changed.
It is best to visually check your tyres on a regular basis for any kind of tread wear and signs of damage. Tyres should have a 1.6 mm tread depth to be safe and should be free from any cracking bulging sidewalls, or bubbles. Some states and manufacturers may require even more minimum tread depth such as in Germany the minimum tread depth is 3 mm.
Don’t Surpass The Tyre Limit
Along with the recommended tyre pressure, tyres also have a maximum pressure and maximum load rating printed on the sidewall. Heavier loads put more pressure on your Goodyear Tyres UK and exceeding their load limit result in a tyre blowout.
Always be aware of how much weight you are loading your vehicle with and, if necessary, increase your tyre pressure to maintain the increased weight, but do not exceed the maximum tyre pressure.
