# Flat tire: what to do, step by step

Updated: 2026-10-24 · https://pros411.com/en/guides/mechanics/flat-tire

## Short answer

If you get a flat, hold the wheel straight, ease off the gas and turn on your hazard lights. Pull well off the road onto flat, solid ground, ideally a parking lot or an exit. If the flat is on the traffic side of a highway shoulder, do not change it there: call roadside assistance. Somewhere safe, set the parking brake, loosen the lug nuts, jack up the car and put on the spare.

> Safety first: Never change a tire on the traffic side of a highway shoulder. If you cannot get far from traffic, stay in the car with your seat belt on and call roadside assistance, or 911 if you are in danger. Never put any part of your body under a car held up only by a jack.

## What to do when you get a flat tire

![Cartoon car on the road with a flat front tire](https://pros411.com/img/guias/flat-tire.webp)

1. **Thump, thump: the tire is flat.** The car pulls to one side and you hear flapping. Hold the wheel straight and ease off the gas. Do not brake hard.
2. **Hazard lights on, pull far off the road.** Look for flat, solid ground away from traffic: an exit, a parking lot or a wide shoulder. Rolling slowly a short way beats stopping in danger.
3. **Flat on the traffic side? Not there.** On a highway shoulder, working next to passing cars is too dangerous. Stay buckled in the car and call roadside assistance.
4. **Parking brake on, loosen the lug nuts first.** With the tire still on the ground, turn each lug nut counterclockwise about half a turn. Then jack up the car at the point your manual shows.
5. **Spare on, tighten in a star pattern.** Snug the nuts by hand, lower the car, then tighten them hard in a star order. Most small spares are good for about 50 mph.

## What not to do

- Do not stop on a curve, a bridge or a narrow shoulder if you can roll slowly to a safer spot.
- Do not get under the car while it is on the jack.
- Do not drive far or fast on a small spare. Get the flat fixed or replaced soon.
- Do not use a can of tire sealant on a cut or on the sidewall: it only helps with small holes in the tread.

## Can the tire be fixed?

A nail or screw in the tread can often be patched from the inside by a tire shop. A cut or bulge in the sidewall, or a tire driven flat for a long way, needs replacing. Driving on a flat can also bend the wheel. Many mobile mechanics and tire services come to you with a new tire.

## When to call a mechanic

- The flat is on the traffic side of a highway, or you cannot get far from traffic.
- You have no spare or no jack, or the lug nuts will not turn.
- The spare is flat too, or more than one tire is damaged.
- The wheel looks bent, or the car was driven a long way on the flat.

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## Frequently asked questions

### Can I drive on a flat tire?

Only slowly and for a very short distance, to get off the road safely. Driving farther ruins the tire and can damage the wheel. Run-flat tires are the exception: follow the distance in your manual.

### Is it safe to change a tire on the side of the highway?

Not on the traffic side. If the flat faces traffic, stay buckled in the car with your hazard lights on and call roadside assistance. Change it yourself only far from traffic, on flat, solid ground.

### Which way do you loosen lug nuts?

Counterclockwise, "lefty loosey." Loosen them about half a turn while the tire is still on the ground, then jack up the car.

### How fast can I drive on a spare tire?

Most small spares, the "donuts," are made for about 50 mph and a limited distance. Check the label on the spare or your owner’s manual, and replace it soon.

### How long does it take to change a tire?

About 20 to 30 minutes the first time, if you have a working jack, a lug wrench and an inflated spare.

### Can a mobile mechanic fix a flat tire?

Yes. Many mobile mechanics and tire services patch, swap or replace a tire wherever you are safely parked.