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If
a Tire
Goes
Flat
It’s unusual for a tire
to
“blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if
you
maintain your tires properly.
If
air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely
to
leak
out
slowly.
But
if
you
should ever have a “blowout,” here are a
few
tips about what
to
expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer
to
maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A
rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like
a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to
go.
It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
--
well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how
to
use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a
Flat
Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to
a
level
place. Turn
on
your hazard
warning flashers.
A
CAC
,,.IN:
Changing
a
tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and
roll
over
you
or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire.
To
help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1.
Set the parking brake firmly.
2.
Put the shift lever in
PARK
(P).
3.
Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
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