A tyre bursting on the North Circular or the M1 into Staples Corner is frightening. Keep control, get off the red route or motorway, and a replacement is fitted in a London side street.
London's blowouts happen where speeds rise: the M1 between J1 and J4, M11 M4 from Chiswick out past J3, the MM25as it A406 at Redbridge, the M25 on the edge of every outer borough, and the A406 and A205 ring roads. The car lurches and the noise is violent. Hold the steering straight, ease off, brake only lightly, and let the speed drop. Red routes allow no stopping, so the aim is the first side street.
If the car can still be driven slowly, turn off the red route into the nearest residential street and park legally, or come off the motorway at the next junction. If it cannot move, call 999 when anyone is at risk; otherwise National Highways on 0300 123 5000 for a motorway, or TfL for a red route, to be recovered. Once safe, ring from there. The rim and the opposite tyre are checked and a new tyre fitted.
Side streets off the A406, A4, A12 or A23, and residential roads near motorway junctions, are where this is done. No fitter works on a red route, motorway carriageway, hard shoulder or in a tunnel anywhere in London.
| Near | Heathrow Airport, Wembley Stadium, The O2 |
|---|---|
| Typical arrival | Usually under an hour |
About burst tyre replacement nationwide → · Burst tyre replacement on the London page
Hazards on first, wherever in London the tyre let go. On the M1 or M4, stop only where the car is clear of the lanes, get passengers out on the kerb side and have them wait beyond the barrier; nobody should stroll along the motorway. On a red route such as the A406, crawl no further than the nearest side street; standing beside a bus lane is not safe. A bare rim grinds and can crack, so once parked, the rim, valve and other tyres get a proper look.
Blowout on a London road? Get off it safely first, then call us.
