What to Do If You Have a Flat Tire on the Highway

What Should I Do Immediately When I Get a Flat Tire on the Highway?

Your first priority is getting to a safe location away from moving traffic. The moment you feel your tire go flat (sudden pulling, loud thumping sound, or loss of control), activate your hazard lights and begin moving right. Here’s your immediate action sequence:

• Hazard lights on – Make yourself visible instantly. Other drivers need to know you’re experiencing an emergency before you change speed or position.
• Maintain steering control – A flat tire creates strong pulling toward the damaged side. Counter this by firmly holding the wheel straight. Don’t overcorrect.
• Slow down gradually – Take your foot off the gas and let your vehicle coast to a slower speed. Avoid touching the brake pedal until you’re going under 30 mph, as braking can destabilize your vehicle.
• Signal and move right – Check your mirrors, signal right, and carefully work your way across lanes toward the shoulder. On Maryland highways, look for designated breakdown lanes or emergency pull-off areas.
• Get completely off the roadway – Your vehicle must be entirely out of traffic lanes. If possible, position your car so there’s several feet between your vehicle and the white line marking the travel lane.
• Put your car in park and engage the parking brake – Once stopped, secure your vehicle so it won’t roll.
• Turn your wheels away from traffic – If you’re on a slope or incline, turn your steering wheel so if the vehicle does roll, it moves away from the highway rather than into traffic.

Do not exit your vehicle yet. First, you need to assess whether your position is actually safe.

Is It Safe to Change a Tire on the Highway Myself?

Only change a tire yourself if your vehicle is positioned in a genuinely safe location with adequate space and stable ground. Many highway flat tire situations are too dangerous for DIY tire changes.

You’re safe to change the tire yourself if ALL of these conditions are met:

• Your vehicle is completely off the highway on a wide, paved shoulder (at least 8 feet from the white line)
• The ground is level and stable, not gravel, grass, mud, or a slope
• You can see clearly in both directions and traffic is light
• It’s daylight with good visibility
• Weather conditions are dry (no rain, snow, or ice)
• You have all necessary equipment: properly inflated spare tire, jack, lug wrench, and wheel chocks
• You feel confident and capable of completing the change

Call for professional help immediately if ANY of these apply:

• Traffic is heavy or vehicles are passing close to your car
• You’re on a curve, hill, bridge, or tunnel where visibility is limited
• The shoulder is narrow, soft, uneven, or slopes toward traffic
• It’s dark, raining, snowing, or foggy
• You’re on a high-speed highway like I-95 where traffic moves at 65+ mph
• You don’t have the proper tools or your spare is flat
• You feel uncomfortable, unsure, or unsafe for any reason

Here’s the reality: changing a tire with vehicles passing at highway speeds just feet away is extremely dangerous. Professional towing services have safety equipment, training, and positioning protocols that protect you from traffic. There’s no shame in calling for help, and it’s almost always the smarter choice on a busy highway.

When Should I Call a Towing Service Instead of Changing the Tire?

Call a professional towing service any time you’re on a busy highway, in a dangerous position, or uncertain about your safety. Towing professionals have safety equipment and traffic control procedures that protect you from passing vehicles.

Specific situations that absolutely require professional assistance:

• Heavy traffic conditions – If vehicles are passing within 10-15 feet of your car at highway speeds, you’re in danger the moment you step outside. Professional services use proper warning equipment and can request highway patrol traffic control if needed.
• Limited shoulder space – Many Maryland highways, particularly older sections of I-95 and urban stretches of I-270, have narrow shoulders that don’t provide adequate safety clearance. If your car door would extend into the travel lane when opened, you need professional help.
• Nighttime or poor visibility – Darkness dramatically increases the risk. Drivers can’t see you, your vehicle, or your warning lights as effectively. Even with flashers on, you’re at serious risk after dark.
• Adverse weather – Rain, snow, fog, or ice create slippery conditions and reduce other drivers’ reaction times. Don’t attempt a tire change in these conditions.
• Your flat is on the traffic side – If the damaged tire is on the driver’s side (the side facing traffic), you’ll be working directly next to moving vehicles. This is exceptionally dangerous and requires professional help.
• You’re unsure or uncomfortable – If something feels wrong about the situation, trust that instinct. Professionals handle these scenarios daily and have the training to work safely.

What to Expect from Professional Roadside Assistance

When you call a towing service for a highway flat tire, here’s what happens:

• A dispatch operator confirms your exact location using landmarks, mile markers, or GPS coordinates. They provide an estimated arrival time, typically 20-45 minutes depending on your location and current call volume.
• The tow truck arrives with proper safety equipment including traffic cones, warning triangles, and high-visibility safety vests. The driver assesses the situation and positions their truck to create a safety barrier between you and traffic.
• If you have a usable spare, they’ll change your tire on-site and you can drive away. If your spare is also flat or you don’t have one, they’ll tow your vehicle to a nearby tire shop or your preferred location.
• Most services accept direct insurance billing if you have roadside assistance coverage through your auto insurance. If paying out of pocket, expect to pay between $75-150 for a tire change service, or $100-200+ for a tow depending on distance.

Geyers Towing provides 24/7 emergency flat tire service throughout Maryland with average response times under 35 minutes. Our drivers are trained in highway safety protocols and equipped to handle flat tire situations on I-95, I-270, I-695, US-50, and all major Maryland roadways. We work directly with your insurance company and offer transparent, upfront pricing with no hidden fees.

Call us immediately when you’re in an unsafe position, and we’ll get you back on the road quickly and safely.

What If I Can’t Safely Pull Over Completely?

If you cannot get your vehicle completely off the highway and out of active traffic lanes, do not exit your vehicle under any circumstances. Stay inside with your seatbelt on, doors locked, and hazard lights flashing.

This is a true emergency situation. Call 911 first, then call a towing service. Here’s what to do:

• Call 911 immediately – Explain that you have a flat tire and are stuck in a travel lane or partially blocking traffic. Provide your exact location using mile markers, exit numbers, or GPS coordinates. Highway patrol will dispatch an officer to protect you with their emergency lights and may provide traffic control.
• Call a towing service – Even if highway patrol is coming, you need a tow truck to actually move your vehicle. Provide the same location details and explain you’re in an active lane.
• Stay in your vehicle with your seatbelt fastened – Your car provides protection. Being outside in active traffic is far more dangerous than remaining inside. Keep all doors locked.
• Move to the passenger side if possible – If traffic is passing on the driver’s side, unbuckle and carefully move to the passenger seat or rear passenger area, away from passing vehicles.
• Keep your hazard lights on – Maintain visibility to approaching traffic.
• Don’t try to change the tire – No tire is worth risking your life. Wait for professional help with proper safety equipment.
• If you see a vehicle approaching without slowing – Brace yourself but remain seatbelted. Your vehicle’s structure provides protection in a collision.

In Maryland, highway patrol typically responds to disabled vehicles in travel lanes within 10-20 minutes. Towing services often arrive around the same timeframe. Once help arrives, they’ll create a safe work zone and either change your tire or tow your vehicle away from danger.

How Do I Change a Highway Flat Tire Safely?

Only proceed with this section if you’ve determined your position is genuinely safe based on the criteria in the “Is It Safe?” section above. If you have any doubt, call for professional assistance instead.

Before you start:

Stay inside your vehicle until you’ve fully assessed the situation. Look behind you for several minutes and watch traffic patterns. If vehicles are consistently passing close to your car, or if traffic is heavy, stop here and call for help.

Step-by-step tire change process:

1. Gather your equipment from the trunk

Exit through the passenger door if possible, away from traffic. Retrieve your spare tire, jack, lug wrench, and owner’s manual. If you have wheel chocks or large rocks, grab those too.

2. Place wheel chocks or large rocks

Position these behind the tires opposite the flat tire to prevent rolling. If your front driver’s side tire is flat, chock the rear passenger side tire.

3. Loosen the lug nuts slightly (don’t remove yet)

Before jacking up the car, use your lug wrench to break the lug nuts loose about a quarter turn. The car’s weight keeps the wheel from spinning, making this easier now than when it’s elevated.

4. Position the jack properly

Consult your owner’s manual for the correct jack placement point. This is typically a reinforced area of the frame near each wheel. Never jack from the bumper or any other spot, as you can damage your vehicle or cause it to fall.

5. Raise the vehicle

Jack the car until the flat tire is about 6 inches off the ground. You need clearance to remove the flat and install the spare, which will be fuller.

6. Remove the lug nuts and flat tire

Finish unscrewing the lug nuts and set them in a safe spot like inside the wheel’s hubcap. Pull the tire straight toward you to remove it. It will be heavy, so brace yourself.

7. Mount the spare tire

Align the spare’s holes with the exposed bolts and push it onto the hub. The spare should slide on relatively easily.

8. Hand-tighten the lug nuts

Thread each lug nut by hand as tight as you can. Install them in a star pattern, not in a circle, to ensure even pressure.

9. Lower the vehicle partially

Lower the car until the tire touches the ground but isn’t bearing the vehicle’s full weight yet.

10. Tighten lug nuts fully in a star pattern

Now use the lug wrench to fully tighten each lug nut. Again, work in a star pattern: if the nuts are positioned like a clock, tighten 12, then 6, then 3, then 9, then 1:30, then 7:30, etc. This ensures even pressure.

11. Lower completely and remove jack

Bring the vehicle all the way down, remove the jack, and give each lug nut one final firm tighten.

12. Store your equipment and flat tire

Load the flat tire, jack, and tools back into your trunk. Don’t leave anything on the highway.

Reality check on equipment:

Most vehicles come with only a basic jack and lug wrench. Very few drivers have wheel chocks, safety triangles, gloves, or flashlights readily available. If you don’t have optional safety equipment, that’s okay, but it’s another reason professional help is often the better choice. Work with what you have, but don’t feel obligated to proceed if conditions aren’t ideal.

Working safely around highway traffic:

Stay hyperaware of your surroundings. Glance at traffic every 10-15 seconds while working. If you see a vehicle drifting toward the shoulder or approaching without slowing, move away from your car immediately and get farther off the roadway. Your life is more important than completing the tire change.

Wear bright clothing if available. Stay as far from the traffic side of your vehicle as possible while working. Complete the job as quickly as you safely can, then leave the area.

What Should I Do After Getting My Tire Fixed or Changed?

Drive directly to a tire shop for a full repair or replacement, even if you successfully installed your spare tire. Spare tires are temporary solutions with serious limitations.

If you’re driving on a spare tire:

Most spare tires are “donut” spares, which are smaller, lighter temporary tires designed only to get you to a repair shop. These have critical restrictions:

Speed limit: 50 mph maximum – Donut spares aren’t built for highway speeds. Stay in the right lane and keep your speed under 50 mph even if the speed limit is higher.

Distance limit: 50-70 miles maximum – Check your spare’s sidewall for the specific rating. Most are rated for 50 miles. Driving farther risks tire failure and damage to your vehicle’s drivetrain.

No long trips – A spare is for getting to a tire shop, not for completing your original journey. Don’t drive from Maryland to Virginia on a donut spare, even if it’s within the 50-mile limit.

Handle carefully – Spare tires affect your vehicle’s handling, braking, and stability. Drive cautiously, avoid sudden movements, and increase your following distance.

Where to go:

Head to the nearest tire shop as soon as possible. If your flat tire is repairable (puncture in the tread area, not the sidewall), repair costs typically run $15-30. If you need a new tire, costs range from $80-300+ depending on your vehicle and tire quality.

If you’re driving on a repaired tire:

Many towing services and roadside assistance providers can plug or patch a tire on-site if the damage is minor. These repairs are generally safe, but you should still have a tire professional inspect the repair within a few days to confirm it’s holding properly.

What to check after a flat tire:

Tire pressure – Whether you’re on a spare or had a flat repaired on-site, check the pressure as soon as possible. Use a gas station air pump and fill to the PSI listed on your driver’s door jamb.

Other tires – Walk around and visually inspect your other three tires. Look for bulges, cracks, objects embedded in the tread, or uneven wear. If one tire failed, others may be near the end of their life too.

Alignment check – Driving on a flat tire, even briefly, can damage your wheel rim and knock your alignment off. If your steering wheel is crooked, your car pulls to one side, or you hear scraping noises, get an alignment check.

Suspension and brake check – A flat tire puts abnormal stress on suspension components. If you notice new vibrations, noises, or handling issues, have a mechanic inspect your suspension and brakes.

Don’t put off these checks. What starts as a simple flat can turn into more expensive repairs if you damaged other components while driving on the flat or mounting the spare incorrectly.

How Can I Prevent Highway Flat Tires?

Regular tire maintenance dramatically reduces your risk of experiencing a flat tire on the highway. Most flats are preventable with proper attention to tire health.

• Check tire pressure monthly – Underinflated tires overheat and fail at highway speeds. Check pressure when tires are cold (before driving) using a digital pressure gauge. Maintain the PSI listed on your driver’s door jamb, not the maximum pressure shown on the tire sidewall.
• Inspect tread depth regularly – Tires with worn tread are more susceptible to punctures and blowouts. Use the penny test: insert a penny into the tread with Lincoln’s head upside down. If you can see the top of his head, your tread is too shallow and you need new tires.
• Look for damage during every gas fill-up – Walk around your vehicle and scan each tire for bulges, cracks, cuts, or objects like nails or screws embedded in the tread. Catching damage early prevents highway failures.
• Rotate tires every 5,000-7,000 miles – Rotation ensures even wear and extends tire life. Uneven wear creates weak spots that are more likely to fail under highway stress.
• Replace tires at 6 years old, regardless of tread – Rubber degrades over time even if tread looks good. Check the DOT number on your tire sidewall to find the manufacturing date. The last four digits show week and year (e.g., “2319” means the 23rd week of 2019).
• Avoid road hazards – Watch for potholes, debris, metal fragments, and construction areas. These cause immediate damage that may not show up as a flat until you’re at highway speed and heat builds up inside the tire.
• Don’t overload your vehicle – Exceeding your vehicle’s weight capacity puts excessive stress on tires. Check your owner’s manual for maximum load ratings and avoid overloading, especially before highway trips.
• Pay attention to warning signs – Vibrations, pulling to one side, or changes in how your car handles often indicate tire problems developing. Address these immediately rather than waiting for a flat.
• Before long highway trips – Do a complete tire inspection the day before. Check pressure in all four tires plus the spare, examine tread and sidewalls, and verify your spare tire is in usable condition. Make sure you have a working jack and lug wrench in your trunk.

Prevention is always easier and cheaper than dealing with a flat tire on a busy highway. Five minutes of monthly maintenance can save you hours of stress and potential danger.

Bottom Line

Getting a flat tire on the highway is stressful, but your response determines your safety. Turn on hazard lights immediately, move completely off the roadway, and honestly assess whether your position is safe for a DIY tire change.

When in doubt, stay in your vehicle and call for professional help. Your safety is always more important than saving time or money. Drive on any spare tire directly to a tire shop, respect the 50 mph and 50-mile limits, and address the flat promptly to avoid additional vehicle damage.

Need emergency flat tire service on a Maryland highway? Geyers Towing provides 24/7 roadside assistance with average response times under 35 minutes. Call us now or request service online for fast, professional help when you need it most.