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Flat tyre help near the A46

Help with a flat tyre once you are safely off the main road: we find the cause, then repair the tyre if it is safe to, or replace it. Our only base is at Brent Cross, NW2, about 76 miles away in a straight line. 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.

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5.0173 Google reviewsPuncture repairs where the damage allows it2,000+ tyres fittedFully insuredSame price at any hourUK registered company
Safety first

Safety first

If a tyre fails and the car can still be driven safely, get it off the road into a side road, a lay-by or a car park. A lay-by on a fast road is a place to stop safely, not somewhere we can work; we come to the car once it is on a side street or in a car park. On a busy road or dual carriageway, do not try to change the wheel yourself; call your breakdown cover, or 999 if the car is somewhere dangerous. 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.

There is no hard shoulder anywhere on this section, from Alcester to M6 junction 2.

National Highways runs this road. Its contact centre is on 0300 123 5000; in an emergency, call 999.

The road's junction list and the full Highway Code steps are on its main page, under Related pages below.

What happens

How flat tyre help works

A flat tyre is not always a simple puncture. The cause can be a nail or screw, a damaged valve, a leak where the tyre meets the rim, or a bent wheel. Once the car is off the main road and parked somewhere safe and legal, do not drive it any further on the flat: a short distance can ruin the sidewall and turn a repairable puncture into a replacement.

The fitter finds the cause, then repairs the tyre if the damage allows it. If not, we tell you and quote a replacement.

Before you call

When the car is parked somewhere safe and legal, such as a side street near the exit or a car park where the owner allows it, we can come to it. Tell us which junction you left at and where the car is now.

  • The tyre size from the sidewall, for example 195/65 R15
  • Whether you can see a nail, a cut or damage to the wheel
  • Whether the car has locking wheel nuts, and where the key is

On this road

RoadA46 Warwick, Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon
OperatorNational Highways

This page covers the road from M6 junction 2 at Coventry, past Kenilworth and Warwick to Longbridge Island (M40 junction 15), and on through Stratford-upon-Avon to Alcester. At its nearest point on this section, the A46 is about 76 miles in a straight line from our only base at Brent Cross, NW2. We have no base or van stationed nearby. If the car is unsafe where it is, your breakdown cover may reach you sooner.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

Google reviews

What customers say

Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 173 Google reviews. Read more reviews

“From start to finish, Hiwad was incredibly professional and helpful.”

KMKian MGoogle review

“Good and reliable service in all conditions.”

LOLeo OduorGoogle review
Questions

Questions drivers ask

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.
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.
Will a flat tyre need replacing?
Not always. If the damage is in the repair zone and the tyre was not driven flat, it may be repairable.
Are you insured?
Yes. Rescue Tyres is fully insured, has fitted more than 2,000 tyres and is a UK registered company.
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.
Can you work on the street outside my house?
Yes, if it is legal to park there and the car is not blocking traffic. A quiet residential street is usually fine; a busy main road or a red route is not.
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.
Will the wheel be damaged too?
It can be. The rim is inspected with the tyre off, and you are told if it is bent or cracked before the new tyre is fitted.
Can I bring the car to you instead?
No. Rescue Tyres is fully mobile and works from one base at Brent Cross, NW2, which is not open to walk-in customers. The fitter comes to the car.
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 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.

Never mix run-flat and standard tyres

Run-flat and standard tyres should not be mixed on the same car.

Switching all four to standard tyres is possible on some cars, but it leaves you unable to drive on after a puncture, so check the handbook first.

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.

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

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).

School-run flat tyre: what to do

A flat tyre on the school run throws the whole day. Here's the safe way to handle it without changing a wheel in the road with kids in the car.

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.

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