A puncture is rarely an emergency in itself. What matters is the first minute, slowing down smoothly, getting off the road, and only then working out what kind of puncture it is. Done in that order, a scare becomes an inconvenience.
First, get off the road safely
The instinct to brake hard is the wrong one, especially if a tyre has let go suddenly.
- Ease off the accelerator and let the car slow; grip the wheel firmly and keep it straight
- Indicate and move to the hard shoulder, verge or a quiet side road
- Put the hazard lights on once stopped
- On a motorway or smart motorway, get everyone out and behind the barrier, away from the traffic side, and call for help rather than attempting a change beside live lanes
Tell a slow leak from a blowout
The two behave very differently. A slow puncture lets air out over minutes, hours or days, often showing first as a tyre that keeps losing pressure or a pull to one side. A blowout is sudden, a bang, a flap-flap-flap and an immediate steering tug, and means stopping as soon as it is safe, because the tyre is already destroyed.
The ways to get moving again
Which option applies depends on what the car carries:
- A spare wheel. A full-size spare is the simplest fix. A space-saver gets you to a garage but is speed and distance limited (typically around 50 mph), with the figure on the wheel
- A sealant and inflator kit. Standard in many new cars in place of a spare. It seals small tread punctures only and is useless on a sidewall or a tyre already off the rim
- Run-flats. These carry on for a limited range at reduced speed; the markings and limits are covered under run-flat tyre markings
- Recovery. If none of the above apply, or the damage looks serious, a breakdown service is the safe call
What not to do
Do not drive on a fully flat conventional tyre except the few yards needed to reach safety, as covered under driving on a flat tyre. And treat any roadside fix as temporary: a sealed or plugged tyre still needs a proper inspection to settle the repair-or-replace decision.
From the workshop: the panic is the dangerous bit, not the puncture. Lift off, don't stamp on the brake, get yourself off the road, then think. Nine times out of ten it's a nail and a twenty-minute job. The ones that turn into a new tyre and a new wheel are the people who drove on it flat to the next junction.
Sources and accuracy. This reflects standard roadside guidance at the time of writing; on motorways always follow current Highway Code and National Highways advice. If anything here looks wrong, get in touch and we will check it and put it right.
Common questions
Can I drive on a punctured tyre?+
Only far enough to reach a safe place to stop. Driving any distance on a tyre that is flat or fast-deflating wrecks the casing and can damage the wheel, turning a repairable puncture into a write-off. A slow puncture may carry you a short way to a garage; a blowout means stopping as soon as it is safe.
How far can I drive on a space-saver spare?+
Most space-saver spares are limited to around 50 mph and a short range, with the exact figure on a sticker on the wheel. They are made to get you to a garage, not to drive on for days, and only one should be fitted at a time.
Does a sealant kit fix every puncture?+
No. The foam-and-compressor kits that replace a spare in many new cars seal small punctures in the tread only. They do nothing for a sidewall cut, a large hole or a tyre that is already flat off the rim, and the tyre still needs inspecting properly afterwards.
Is the puncture my fault if I hit something?+
It rarely matters for what you do next. Whether it was a nail in the road or a kerb strike, the steps are the same: get off the road, work out the type of damage, and get the tyre inspected before trusting it again.