A tyre failure on a motorway is one of the most dangerous places to stop, so safety comes before the car. Get as far left as you can, leave the vehicle by the left-hand doors, and get behind the barrier well away from traffic. Do not try to change a wheel on a live motorway, no matter how confident you feel, because passing traffic is the real danger.
The moment it happens
Your first job is to get the car to relative safety without losing control:
- Keep control. If it's a blowout, don't brake hard; ease off and steer straight.
- Get left. Aim for the hard shoulder or an emergency refuge area.
- Pull as far left as possible and turn the wheels to the left.
- Hazards on, plus sidelights in poor visibility.
Getting out safely
Once stopped, get everyone away from the carriageway as quickly and calmly as you can:
- Exit by the left-hand doors, away from traffic.
- Get behind the safety barrier and well up the verge.
- Take everyone, and any pets, with you; leave animals' leads on.
- Don't stand near the car or attempt repairs at the roadside.
Smart motorways
Many motorways now have no permanent hard shoulder. Use the orange emergency refuge areas where you can, and follow the signs and the Highway Code guidance on breakdowns. If you can't reach a refuge and the car stops in a live lane, keep your seatbelts on, hazards on, and call 999 if you can't safely get out. Where there's no hard shoulder, getting fully off the carriageway isn't always possible, which is exactly why the priority is reaching a refuge or, failing that, staying belted in and calling for help fast.
What not to do
A few instincts make a motorway breakdown far more dangerous, so it's worth knowing them in advance:
- Don't change the wheel yourself on the hard shoulder or in a live lane.
- Don't sit in the car on the hard shoulder if you can safely get out and behind the barrier.
- Don't stand in front of or beside the car, where you're between it and the traffic.
- Don't try to retrieve items from the carriageway side of the vehicle.
Then call for help
Changing a wheel beside fast traffic is far more dangerous than waiting, which is why it's strongly advised against. Call your breakdown provider or a mobile tyre service. Our 24-hour mobile fitters reach motorway callouts across the UK and fit a replacement safely. Book a rescue or call our line.
