- If the tyre is losing air but the car still steers, slow down gently, switch on the hazard lights and leave at the next junction.
- Stop in a side street or a car park, not a lay-by beside the fast road: a lay-by is a place to stop safely, not somewhere we can work.
- If the car stops in a live lane, keep your seat belt on, leave the hazard lights on and call 999.
- If you can get out safely, use the door away from the traffic and wait behind a barrier if there is one.
Flat tyre help near the A14
A flat tyre on the stretch from the Catthorpe Interchange to Thrapston is a long way from us. Its nearest point, junction 13 at Thrapston, is about 58 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2 1LX, and we have no van stationed in Northamptonshire. Once the car is safely off the road, call. 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.
Tyre help
Losing air on a dual carriageway
From Catthorpe to Thrapston this is an all-purpose dual carriageway with no hard shoulder, and clearway rules apply along the whole route, so there is nowhere on the main carriageway to wait or to work on a wheel.
National Highways runs this road and takes breakdown and incident calls on 0300 123 5000. These steps follow Highway Code rules 274 to 287, and we never work on the carriageway or a slip road.
On the road
Junctions to leave by
Some junctions do not allow every turn, so follow the signs. On the call, tell us which junction you left by and the street or car park where the car has stopped.
| Junction | Serves | From Brent Cross |
|---|---|---|
| Catthorpe Interchange | M1 J19, M6 J1, Rugby, Lutterworth | about 70 miles |
| J2 (Kelmarsh) | A508 Northampton, Market Harborough | about 64 miles |
| J3 (Rothwell) | A6 Rothwell, Desborough, Market Harborough | about 63 miles |
| J7 (Kettering) | A43 Kettering, Corby, Northampton | about 62 miles |
| J9 (Kettering, Wellingborough) | A509 Kettering, Wellingborough, Isham | about 59 miles |
| J10 (Barton Seagrave) | A6 Kettering, Burton Latimer, Bedford | about 59 miles |
| J12 (Islip) | A6116 Corby, Islip, Twywell | about 58 miles |
| J13 (Thrapston) | A605 Thrapston, Oundle, Peterborough, A45 Raunds, Northampton | about 58 miles |
Tyre help
Why a tyre goes flat
A flat tyre is not always a puncture. It can come from a nail or screw in the tread, a damaged or loose valve, air escaping where the tyre meets the rim, or a wheel bent by a pothole or a kerb. A tyre that runs low on air flexes more and heats up, and it can be damaged inside within a short distance, which is why the next junction, not the next town, is the place to stop.
Once the car is parked, do not drive it any further on the flat. If the car has a space saver spare and you can fit it safely away from the traffic, it is only for a short distance at the reduced speed marked on it.
Repair or replace
Repair or a new tyre
The fitter takes the tyre off the wheel and checks the inside before deciding. A hole in the central part of the tread, no wider than 6 mm, can be repaired; damage on the shoulder or sidewall, a cut, a bulge or a tyre that has been driven flat means a replacement. We tell you which before any work starts, and the price is confirmed on the call.
Have the tyre size from the sidewall ready, and say whether the car has locking wheel nuts and where the key is. Some sizes have to be ordered for the job, and we say so on the call.
Flat tyre
Dealing with a flat tyre safely
A flat tyre can come from a puncture, a damaged valve, a tyre pushed off its bead by a kerb or a split in the sidewall. The first job is to stop somewhere safe and not drive any further on it than you must.
Driving on a flat
Driving on a flat, even slowly, damages the tyre and can bend or crack the wheel. A short distance is often enough to turn a repairable puncture into a tyre that has to be replaced.
Get to the nearest place where it is safe to stop, switch the hazard lights on and stop there.
Tyre pressure warning lights
A tyre pressure warning light means the system has detected a drop in pressure in one or more tyres. Check all four by eye and with a gauge before driving further.
A light that flashes when the car starts and then stays on usually points to a fault in the system itself rather than a tyre.
What to tell us when you call
Say where the car is, whether it is safe where it is, the tyre size and whether there is a usable spare. A photo of the damage and of the size on the sidewall saves questions later.
If the car has locking wheel nuts, have the key ready.
What flat tyre help includes
- The cause found with the tyre off the rim
- A repair if the damage allows it, or a new tyre if not
- Valve checked and pressure set before the wheel goes back on
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. Say whether there is a usable spare.
→
Agree what happens next
You hear what the job involves and the options for your car. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
→
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.
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Questions
Questions drivers ask
Can I wait for you in a lay-by on the dual carriageway?
No. A lay-by beside fast traffic is a place to stop safely and call for help, not a place we can work. Leave at the next junction if the car still steers, or call your breakdown cover if it does not.
Is it worth calling from Kettering or Thrapston?
Call and ask. Northamptonshire is a long way from our base, so we say plainly whether we can take the job. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.
The pressure light is on but the tyre looks fine. What should I do?
Measure the pressures with a gauge before going further. A modern tyre can lose a lot of pressure before it looks flat.
How far can I drive on a flat tyre?
Ideally nowhere. Even a short distance can destroy the tyre and damage the wheel, so stop as soon as it is safe to.
What if the tyre needs replacing rather than repairing?
You are told before anything else is done, with the reason and the options for a new tyre in your size. Nothing changes until you agree.
Do you charge more in the evening or at the weekend?
We work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays when the diary allows, at the same price as a weekday job.
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 should I do if a tyre bursts while I am driving?
Hold the wheel firmly, keep straight, ease off the accelerator and avoid braking hard. Once the car has slowed, brake gently and pull over where it is safe.
Do you bring the tyre with you?
Common sizes are often on the van; other sizes are sourced for the job. Send the size from the sidewall when you call so the right tyre can be found.
Pricing
How the price is worked out
There is no fixed figure that suits every car, so the price is built from a few things and told to you before you decide.
The price is given on the call. The price is the same at any hour. Asking for a price does not commit you to anything.
When you compare prices, compare like with like: the same brand and pattern, the same load index and speed rating, and whether balancing and a new valve are part of the job.
What goes into the price
- The tyre itself: size, load index, speed rating and whether it is a run-flat
- The tier you choose: budget, mid-range or premium
- The work: a repair, one new tyre or several, and any locking nut removal
- The location of the car
Run-flat tyres
Run-flat tyres
A run-flat tyre has a reinforced sidewall that carries the car for a limited distance with little or no air. Because the car can feel normal, the tyre pressure warning light may be the only sign that something is wrong.
How to tell if you have run-flats
Look near the size on the sidewall for markings such as RFT, SSR, ROF, ZP or RSC in a circle.
Cars on run-flats often have no spare wheel at all, so check under the boot floor and in the handbook.
How far a run-flat will go
Tyre makers commonly quote up to 50 miles at no more than 50 mph after pressure loss, but the handbook has the final word.
Use that range to reach a safe place such as home or a car park, not to finish a long journey.
Can a run-flat be repaired?
Sometimes, but less often than a standard tyre. TyreSafe does not recommend repairing run-flats, and some tyre makers advise against it, especially after the tyre has been driven without air.
The tyre comes off the rim and is checked against the maker's guidance before a repair is even considered.
What a run-flat job includes
- Correct run-flat in your size, load index and speed rating
- Inspection inside the tyre before any repair is considered
- Advice on maker markings such as RSC and the star
Helpful guides
Tyre advice worth reading
Spare wheel maintenance and checks
The spare is the most forgotten tyre on the car, and often flat when you need it. Here's how to check and look after your spare, plus space-saver rules.
Is it safe to drive on a flat tyre?
Driving on a flat tyre is dangerous and can wreck your wheel. Here's what happens, what to do instead, and how far you can safely go (almost nowhere).
TPMS warning light: what it means and what to do
That horseshoe-shaped dashboard light is your tyre pressure monitoring system. Here's what it means, the steady vs flashing difference, and how to respond.
Call to check we can take the job
Tell us where the car is
Stay safe, keep off the flat tyre and tell us where the car is.