5 Tips for Changing a Flat Tire Safely

Knowing how to change a flat tire is one thing, however, being safe while doing it is far more important. Here are some tips to help keep you safe, in the event you ever get a flat tire while driving and decide to change it yourself.

1. Pull as far away from the road as possible.

The moment that you feel your tire go flat, put on your blinker and pull off to the side of the road. You’ll want to get as far away from the road as possible. Make sure that you leave space in between the flat tire and the road and/or the wall so that you will have room to change the tire.

2. Try to park somewhere where you can put the flat tire side of your car away from traffic.

This is a very situational tip, but it’s always better to have your car in-between the road and you, therefore, you should try to get the flat side of the car as far away from the road as possible.

3. Turn on your hazard lights.

Once you have gotten as far out of the way as you possibly can, it is important to make your car more visible to the cars driving near you. As soon as your vehicle has been put in park, you should immediately turn on your hazard lights. This is one of the best things you can do to avoid being hit by another car in low visibility situations. It will also let the people around you know that you are in distress. Additionally, depending on the situation, you might want to consider putting out road flares if visibility is extremely low.

4. Keep your eyes on the cars moving around you.

Even though you have your hazard lights on, you should still watch the road to make sure that cars are able to see you. Especially if there aren’t a lot of cars moving on the road you are on, you should be stopping to at least look while the car is moving towards you. It is always better to be safe and take your time rather than rush and not pay attention.

5. Make sure you are using your car jack safely.

An extremely common mistake that people make when changing a tire, especially for the first time, is the fact that the car jack will not be properly placed under the person’s automobile. There are a few ways to make sure that you are using a car jack safely. First of all, make sure your vehicle is in park, with the wheels turned away from the road. Secondly, when you start jacking up your car, wiggle the car a bit to make sure it will not fall off the jack. It’s better to have the car fall when you wiggle it than to fall on you when you are changing the tire. Always take it slow while changing the tire, and make sure each nut is secured tightly when finished.

Changing a tire obviously isn’t the most enjoyable activity in the world. But it’s always better to be safe while doing it. The best part is, most of the ways that you can stay safe are easy to do and don’t require a lot of thought.

We’d like you to know that Jan’s Towing offers fast & reliable roadside service including the changing of flat tires everywhere in the San Gabriel Valley, such as Azusa, Glendora, Covina, West Covina, Arcadia, Irwindale, Baldwin Park, Monrovia, El Monte, La Verne, and San Dimas. In Inland Empire, we service the cities of Fontana, Rialto, Bloomington, Rancho Cucamonga, and Ontario. We will respond immediately on a 24/7 basis, so give us a call right now at (626) 914-1841 if you are in need of help with a flat tire change, or any other roadside assistance!