Top 10 Driving Emergency #1: Tire Blowout

To survive a tire blowout, pretend you're the bad guy in a police
chase: Push the gas and drive straight ahead. The shotgun-blast noise of
a tire blowout makes most law-abiding drivers do exactly the wrong
thing: attempt to slow down quickly and get off the road. With a
rear-tire failure, any turning at high speed will likely result in a
crash.

I've taught hundreds of drivers how to correctly handle a tire
blowout: I sat in the passenger seat and exploded a gaping hole in the
tire with plastic explosive. Not one lost control. Here's how they did
it.

If a tire blows:

• Squeeze the gas pedal for a couple of seconds. This puts you in
  control of the car and directs the car straight down the road. It also
  prevents you from committing the mortal sins of braking and turning.
  After a couple of seconds, gently and smoothly release the accelerator
  pedal. The drag force of a completely flat tire is so potent that
  pushing the gas will not allow the vehicle to go faster.
• Most importantly, drive straight down your lane. Keep your feet away from the brake (or clutch).
• Allow the car to coast down to as slow a speed as is safe (30 mph is good). Engage your turn signal and gently
  turn toward the shoulder of the road that's on the same side as the
  blown tire: This lessens your chance of losing control and will make the
  tire change safer. If the situation requires, you may ever so lightly squeeze the brakes.

Almost all highway blowouts and tread separations occur with the car
traveling in a straight line on a very hot day at high speeds with an
underinflated tire. The repeated flexing of an underinflated tire causes
the failure. Check your tire pressures!

 

Courtesy of Edmunds