- Leave at the next exit or pull into a service area if you can reach it without risk.
- If you cannot, stop on the hard shoulder or in an emergency area, as far to the left as you can, and switch on the hazard lights.
- Get out by the left-hand doors and wait behind the safety barrier, away from the traffic.
- Do not try to change or repair the wheel yourself at the side of the motorway.
- If the car stops in a live lane and you cannot get out safely, stay in your seat with the belt on and call 999.
- Otherwise call your breakdown provider, or 999 if you are in danger.
Out-of-hours tyre repair near the M1
If a tyre goes down on the M1 after dark, the first job is getting you and the car somewhere safe. The repair comes later, and never on the motorway itself. We are a mobile tyre service with one base, at Unit 9 Adrian Avenue, Brent Cross, NW2 1LX. The M1 starts at J1, Staples Corner, a few hundred metres from that base. Once the car is off the road, call us: we say whether we can take the job and give you an arrival time on the call.
On the road
If the tyre fails while you are on the motorway
From J6a to J10 the motorway is a smart section, so do not count on a hard shoulder being there; stop only in an emergency area or leave the motorway. From J10 to J19 much of the road has no hard shoulder at all and only emergency areas. This advice follows Highway Code rules 274 to 287. We never work on the carriageway of a motorway or main road, on a hard shoulder, in a smart motorway emergency area or on a slip road.
Where we can work
Where we can do the repair once you are off the road
We work where the car is parked safely and legally: a side street, your driveway, or a car park when its owner allows the work. A motorway service area is possible only if the operator allows it; at the London end, London Gateway services (Welcome Break) sits between J2 and J4. If a recovery truck has already taken the car home or to another address, we can come there instead.
Tell us exactly where the car is now, the junction you left at, the tyre size from the sidewall (for example 205/55 R16), and where the locking wheel nut key is if the car has locking nuts.
Repair or replace
Will a late-night puncture repair hold?
A puncture can be repaired when the hole is in the central part of the tread and no wider than 6 mm. The tyre comes off the wheel and is checked from the inside first, because a tyre that has been driven while flat can be damaged inside even when the outside looks fine.
A hole near the shoulder or in the sidewall, a cut, a tear, or a tyre wrecked by being driven flat cannot be repaired safely, so the tyre has to be replaced. Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job, which can mean a later visit.
Pricing
Evenings, weekends and the price
We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job. There is no extra charge for a late call. Urgent work is fitted in if the diary allows, and since we have more than one van, it helps if a van is already out this way. The price depends on whether the tyre can be repaired and, if not, on the size and brand of the new one; we confirm it on the call.
Further north the motorway runs a long way from our base. Milton Keynes is about 40 miles away and Newport Pagnell about 41, which is a longer trip for the van. Northampton is about 54 miles and Rugby about 71, and we have no base or van stationed anywhere up there. Call and we will tell you straight away whether we can take the job. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
Out of hours
Tyre trouble in the evening or at the weekend
Call to check what can be done; evening and weekend jobs are fitted around the work already booked.
Waiting safely after dark
Park with the hazard lights on and, if you have one, wear a high-visibility vest. Wait away from the traffic side of the car, ideally behind a barrier or on a pavement, and keep your phone charged.
If you feel unsafe where the car is, wait somewhere nearby that is open and lit, and tell us where to find you.
A flat found at home or at work
A flat found on the drive or outside the house can stay where it is, as long as the car is legally parked. There is no need to move it to a garage.
At work or in a hospital or shift car park, check that the site is happy for a tyre to be fitted in its bays.
Light, space and firm ground
A well-lit spot on firm, level ground makes the job safer for everyone. Room on the side of the flat tyre lets the jack go in properly.
If the car is boxed in or in a tight bay, say so on the call so the fitter can plan around it.
What an out-of-hours job includes
- The same repair-or-replace check as at any other time
- A new tyre fitted when the damage rules out a repair
- A lit, legal spot to work in, agreed on the call
Staying safe
Staying safe until the job is done
While you wait for the fitter
- Stop somewhere off the main flow of traffic, switch on the hazard lights and, if you have one, put on a high-visibility vest.
- Get everyone out on the side away from the traffic and wait behind a barrier, on a pavement or well back from the road.
- If the tyre may still be repairable, say so before using a sealant can, and leave any nail or screw where it is.
- Keep your phone on and charged, and tell us about anything that makes the spot hard to find.
What to tell us from the roadside
- Which road you were on and the direction you were travelling
- The last junction you passed, or the number on a driver location sign if you can read one safely
- Where the car is now: the exit, the side street or the car park it was moved to
- The tyre size from the sidewall, and whether the car has locking wheel nuts
Step by step
Calling us once the car is safe
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Tell us what happened
Call or WhatsApp with where the car is, the registration and the tyre size from the sidewall.
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Agree what happens next
You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
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Work at the car
The fitter comes to your home, your workplace or a safe place to park, raises the car on a jack and does the job beside it.
Checked before the fitter leaves
Before the fitter leaves, the wheel is checked for security and the tyre pressure is set to the maker's figure.
★★★★★
“Good communication, excellent work and takes the initiative. Happy to go the extra mile, highly recommended if you're in a tyre-related bit of bother!”
DFDavid FordhamGoogle review
★★★★★
“Faultless experience. Great communication, attitude and service.”
BCBen CorrieGoogle review
Questions
Questions drivers ask
Can you repair the tyre on the hard shoulder?
No. Get the car off the motorway, or have it recovered, and we come to where it is parked.
Does a repair cost more at night?
No. The price is the same at any hour, including weekends and bank holidays.
Will someone always pick up the phone?
We cannot promise that the phone is answered at every hour. If you cannot get through and the car is somewhere unsafe, call your breakdown cover.
Is the price higher out of hours?
The price is the same at any hour.
Is a tyre job at night done any differently?
No. The checks are the same as in the day, but the fitter needs a lit, legal spot away from passing traffic to work safely.
Are you insured?
Yes. Rescue Tyres is fully insured, has fitted more than 2,000 tyres and is a UK registered company.
Do new tyres come with a warranty?
New tyres carry the manufacturer's warranty against defects. It does not cover damage from punctures, kerbs or potholes.
How soon can the fitter get to me?
It depends on how far the car is from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2, and on the jobs already booked. We give you an arrival time when you call.
What if I stop on a smart motorway?
Use an emergency area if you can reach one; they are marked with blue signs and an orange SOS phone. If the car stops in a live lane and getting out is not safe, everyone stays belted in with the hazard lights on while you dial 999.
Is it safe to change a wheel on the hard shoulder?
No. The advice in the Highway Code is to keep well away from the vehicle and the traffic and not to attempt any repairs there.
Tyres and the law
Tread depth, tyre age and the law
The legal tread limit
Cars and light vans need at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tyre, around the whole circumference.
For a car, each illegal tyre can bring a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points; the maximum fine for a van is higher.
The 20p test
Push a 20p coin into the main grooves at several points around the tyre. If the outer band of the coin is visible, the tread may be close to the limit and should be measured properly.
Other defects that make a tyre illegal
A tyre is also illegal with a cut longer than 25 mm or a tenth of its section width, whichever is greater, that reaches the ply or cord, a lump or bulge, exposed cords, or the wrong size or type for the car.
How old is your tyre?
The last four digits of the DOT code on the sidewall give the week and year of manufacture, so 2319 means the 23rd week of 2019.
Rubber hardens and cracks with age even on a tyre that has done few miles, and many tyre makers advise replacing any tyre ten years old or more.
Helpful guides
Tyre advice worth reading
What to keep in the car for a tyre emergency
Most cars carry the wrong things for a puncture. Here is the short list that helps at the roadside, and what to check you have now.
Night driving safety and your tyres
At night you spot hazards later, so grip matters more than ever. Here's how to drive safely after dark and why healthy tyres are your safety net.
Tyre fitting at the office: how it works
Get your tyres fitted while you're at work. Here's how workplace mobile tyre fitting works, what we need from you, and why it saves you the most time.
Call to check we can take the job
Tell us where the car is
Call to check what the diary allows this evening or this weekend. Call and we will tell you straight away whether we can take the job; if we can, the arrival time is given on the call. The price is given on the call.