Flat tire on the interstate? What to do, step by step

What should you do in the first seconds?

Keep both hands on the wheel, lift your foot off the pedal and let the car lose speed by itself. Signal early, then steer toward the exit or the right shoulder.

1. Grip the wheel with both hands. A flat front tire pulls the car to one side.
2. Lift your foot off the gas. Brake softly only once the car is under control.
3. Signal and check your mirrors. Move right one lane at a time.
4. Pick your stopping place. An exit ramp, a gas station or a parking lot beats any shoulder.
5. Turn on your hazard lights as soon as you slow down, and keep them on.

On Memphis interstates the right shoulder is often narrow near ramps and bridges. On parts of I-240 and I-40 through the city, exits come every mile or two. If the car still steers, rolling slowly to the next exit is usually safer than stopping inches from traffic.

Should you change a tire on the interstate shoulder?

Usually not, because a narrow shoulder beside fast traffic is one of the riskiest places to work on a car. If the car still rolls, get to an exit or a parking lot first.

Changing a tire puts you low to the ground, often with your back to traffic. The jack needs flat, firm ground, and many shoulders slope or are soft at the edge. Drivers who drift onto the shoulder may not see you until late.

• The flat is on the traffic side: don't change it there.
• The shoulder is narrower than your car: don't change it there.
• It is dark, raining or foggy: wait for help.
• You are in a wide, flat spot well off the road: it may be fine, if you feel safe.

Rolling a short way on a flat can ruin the tire, and sometimes the wheel. That is a cost you can fix later. Your safety comes first, and a tire can be replaced.

Who do you call on a Memphis interstate?

Call 911 if anyone is hurt, the car is stuck in a travel lane, or you feel unsafe. For the tire itself, once you are in a safe spot, contact a tire service or your roadside plan.

• 911: crashes, injuries, a car blocking a lane, smoke, or any threat.
• Your roadside plan or insurer: many car insurance policies and new-car warranties include roadside help. Check the card in your glove box or the app.
• A mobile tire service: for a repair, a spare change or a new tire at the car, once the car is in a safe place.

Keep your phone charged in the car. A flat at night with a dead phone is a much harder problem than the tire itself.

What does Tennessee's move-over law say?

Tennessee's move-over law (TCA 55-8-132) tells drivers to move into another lane when safe, or slow down, near stopped responder vehicles with flashing lights. That covers tow trucks, highway maintenance trucks and utility trucks, as TDOT explains.

The law protects the people who come to help you. It also means a tow truck or service truck with lights flashing behind your car gives you some extra room. Still, never count on every driver moving over. Many don't see a stopped car until late, so keep yourself out of the lanes.

What should you do while you wait?

Stay out of the travel lanes and keep your hazards on. If you can step out safely on the side away from traffic and wait behind a guardrail, that is often safer than sitting in the car.

• Get out on the passenger side, never into traffic.
• Take children and pets with you if you leave the car, and keep them close.
• If you can't get out safely, stay buckled in.
• Don't stand between your car and traffic, or behind the car.
• Raise the hood only if it is safe to reach it.
• At night, keep the interior light off so you can see out.

While you wait, find what helpers will need. The spare is usually under the trunk floor or below the back of the car. The lug wrench and jack sit near it. Many cars also have a locking lug nut that needs its own key, often in the glove box or the trunk tray.

How do you tell a helper where you are?

Give the interstate, the direction of travel and the nearest exit number or mile marker. Small green mile-marker signs stand along the right shoulder.

"I-240, going toward the airport, just past the exit for Poplar" is far more useful than "somewhere near East Memphis." If your phone shows a map pin, share it. Add the color, make and model of your car, and say which tire is flat.

If you were able to get off at an exit, give the street and the business name instead: a gas station, a fast-food lot or a store parking lot.

Can a mobile tire service come to the interstate?

It depends on where the car is stopped and how safe that spot is. A tire tech we work with may ask you to get to the next exit or a parking lot first, or to call 911.

A parking lot lets the tech work without traffic beside the car, so the job is safer for everyone. Our roadside tire change page covers what we do once the car is in a safe place. If there is no spare, or the spare is flat too, see what to do with no spare.

What should be in the car before your next interstate drive?

A spare with air in it, the jack and lug wrench, the lock key if your wheels use one, and a charged phone. Most interstate flats turn hard because one of those is missing.

• Spare pressure: spares lose air while they sit. Check it when you check the other tires.
• Lock key: find it now and keep it in the glove box.
• Roadside plan details: the card or the app, and your policy number.
• Phone charger: a cable that fits your car.
• A flashlight: the phone light drains the battery.
• A reflective vest or triangles: cheap, and useful at night.

Some newer cars carry a sealant kit and a small compressor instead of a spare. Learn where it is and read its label before you need it.

What happens to the tire after a highway flat?

A tire that ran low at highway speed may be damaged inside, even when the outside looks fine. That is why the tire industry says a tire must come off the wheel to be checked before it is repaired.

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) also limits repairs to holes in the tread, ¼ inch (6 mm) across or smaller. Damage that reaches the shoulder means the tire has to be replaced. Our guide on tire plug vs patch explains what a proper repair is. If you drove on the spare to get home, read how long you can drive on a spare.

Drove over debris before the flat? Check the other tires too, once you are somewhere safe. A sudden bang and a loud flapping sound usually mean a blowout, which is covered in our tire blowout guide.

When to contact us: Once you are off the road and safe, send us your details with the car, the tire size and the exit you are near.