The Manitoba Driver, from Manitoba Public Insurance
November 2007

237 words
What to do when…you have a tire blowout

Properly maintaining your vehicle is the best strategy for preventing many breakdowns. However, mishaps can still occur.

What should you do when you have a tire blowout? Blowouts affect a vehicle differently depending on whether it’s the front or the rear tire that has blown. If it’s the front tire, the vehicle will pull to the side where the tire has deflated. If a rear tire deflates, the rear of the vehicle swerves back and forth.

What to do:

• Maintain your speed and do not brake.
• Grip the steering wheel firmly and steer to keep the vehicle in a straight line.
• Activate the hazard lights.
• When under control, ease off the accelerator.
• Check traffic and select a safe path.
• Change lanes to move off the roadway as far as possible to change the tire.

How to prevent tire blowouts :

• Check tire inflation regularly.
• Check the tire tread and sidewall each time you approach the vehicle. (Have a more thorough examination performed when the vehicle is being serviced, such as when getting an oil change.)
• Replace tires when worn, bulging or cracked.
• Avoid driving over objects on the roadway.

Gravel roads and other challenging road conditions in rural Manitoba can be particularly hard on tires. Make sure yours are in good condition, and that you’re equipped with the knowledge to deal with unforeseen circumstances like a blowout.

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© 2007 Manitoba Public Insurance