The A40 gives you no hard shoulder anywhere: the Westway and Western Avenue are elevated or hemmed in by barriers, and the Oxford northern bypass is a plain dual carriageway. Keep the car moving to Hanger Lane, Greenford, Northolt or the next roundabout and get off the road. Stuck in a lane? 999 first, then Transport for London or National Highways, then us.
Leaving London the A40 starts as the Westway flyover at Paddington, drops past White City and Acton to the Hanger Lane gyratory, then runs as Western Avenue through Perivale, Greenford and Northolt to the Denham roundabout, where the M40 takes over. All of that is a TfL red route, and the Westway has nowhere to pull in. Beyond High Wycombe the A40 leaves the M40 at junction 8 as a county-run bypass round the north of Oxford, then on to Witney.
If you can still control the car safely, leave at the next junction or pull into a services. If not, use the hard shoulder or an emergency area rather than a running lane, but never as a place to wait for a fitter: nobody can change a wheel there.
Put your hazards on. If it is safe, get everyone out on the passenger side and behind the barrier; if not, stay in with seatbelts on. Call 999 if you are in a live lane or in danger. Otherwise call the road operator (details below) and get moved to a place of safety. On a smart motorway use an emergency area and the orange SOS phone, and do not rejoin until the signals are set.
Once you are somewhere a van can park beside you, call 07473 720871 with the road, the direction, the nearest junction or marker post and the tyre size. We confirm the price and a realistic time before we set off.
The usual arrival band from our Brent Cross base; we confirm a real time when you call.
| Junction | Serves | Nearest safe stop | Typical arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marylebone flyover, Paddington | A5 Edgware Road, Marylebone Road, Paddington station | Come down off the flyover and use a Paddington side street or the station's short-stay car park | Usually under an hour |
| Wood Lane, White City | Westfield London, BBC Television Centre, Shepherd's Bush | Westfield London car parks off Wood Lane | Usually under an hour |
| Savoy Circus, East Acton | Old Oak Common Lane, East Acton, Hammersmith Hospital | Side streets in East Acton south of the A40 | Usually under an hour |
| Gipsy Corner, Acton | Horn Lane, Acton, North Acton station | Acton side streets off Horn Lane | Usually under an hour |
| Hanger Lane gyratory | A406 North Circular, Ealing, Park Royal | Do not stop on the gyratory; exit towards Ealing and use a residential street or the Park Royal estate roads | Usually under an hour |
| Greenford (A4127) | Greenford Road, Westway Cross retail park, Greenford station | Westway Cross retail park beside the junction | Usually under an hour |
| Target roundabout, Northolt | A312 Northolt, Hayes, Southall | Northolt side streets off the A312 | Usually under an hour |
| Polish War Memorial (A4180) | Ruislip, West Ruislip, RAF Northolt | West Ruislip station car park | Usually under an hour |
| Swakeleys roundabout, Hillingdon | Ickenham, Hillingdon, Uxbridge | Hillingdon station car park or the Uxbridge multi-storeys | Usually under an hour |
| Denham roundabout | M40 J1, A412 Uxbridge and Rickmansworth, M25 J16 via the M40 | Denham village or the Uxbridge side of the roundabout, not the roundabout approaches | Usually under an hour |
| M40 J8 (Wheatley) | Wheatley, Thame, A418 Aylesbury | Wheatley village or the Thornhill park and ride further on | Around 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Headington roundabout | A420 London Road, Headington, John Radcliffe Hospital | Thornhill park and ride at the roundabout | Around 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Marston Interchange | Marston, Cherwell Drive, Oxford city centre via Marston Road | Marston side streets or back to Thornhill | Around 2 hours, confirmed before we set off |
| Cutteslowe roundabout | A4165 Banbury Road, Summertown, Kidlington | Cutteslowe Park roads or the Banbury Road shopping parade | Around 2 hours, confirmed before we set off |
| Wolvercote roundabout | A34 south, A44 Woodstock, Peartree | Peartree services or Peartree park and ride via the A34 interchange | Around 2 hours, confirmed before we set off |
| Eynsham roundabout | B4044 Eynsham, Cassington, Farmoor | Eynsham village or the Cassington turn | Around 2 hours, confirmed before we set off |
| Witney (Shores Green and Ducklington Lane) | A4095 Witney, Ducklington, Carterton | Witney's Woolgate car park or the retail park off Ducklington Lane | Around 2 hours, confirmed before we set off |
There are no motorway-style services on this road. Use the junction table for the nearest safe stop.
Nothing gets done on the Westway or Western Avenue, both red routes, but everything gets done just off them: Westfield at Wood Lane, Westway Cross, Thornhill.
The Westway shakes hardware loose from vehicles, and its concrete joints start slow punctures that only show on Western Avenue. If the light comes on near Hanger Lane, come off into Ealing; near Greenford, Westway Cross retail park is ideal. A small hole mid-tread is patch-plugged from inside at Greenford; at Oxford, Thornhill park and ride is the spot.
How a mobile puncture repair is done →Western Avenue carries speed between Northolt and Denham and a burst there leaves no margin either side. Slow gradually and take the Polish War Memorial or Swakeleys exit; West Ruislip station car park is close. On the elevated Westway there is nowhere to stop, so creep to the Wood Lane exit if the car moves, otherwise phone 999 and TfL.
What to do after a burst tyre →Locking nut trouble on the A40 surfaces at the worst moment, when a garage in Acton or Greenford has jacked the car up and found the key sheared. Get the car to a car park at Westfield, Westway Cross or Uxbridge and ring. Our tools grip the locking nut without touching the alloy, then we fit the tyre or standard nuts.
How locking wheel nuts are removed →The A40 never empties. Airport traffic, Park Royal deliveries and M40 coaches keep it moving all night, and TfL's red route rules do not relax after dark. If a tyre fails in the small hours, the supermarket car parks around Greenford, Northolt and Hillingdon beat the verge. At Oxford, Peartree services by the Wolvercote roundabout is open through the night.
How our 24 hour tyre service works →Motorway advice follows the Highway Code (motorway rules 253 to 273 and breakdown rules 274 to 287) and National Highways breakdown guidance; repairs follow BS AU 159, the British Standard for tyre repairs.
After Hanger Lane the dashboard warns of a soft nearside tyre. The A40 through Perivale is a barriered red route, so come off at Greenford and park at Westway Cross. A screw in the tread gets plugged.
A rear tyre bursts on the White City flyover with no room either side. Hazards on; if it still steers safely, creep off at Wood Lane to Westfield. If not, stay belted in and dial 999.
On the Oxford bypass near Marston a puncture sends you looking for the locking wheel nut key, which is missing. Carry on to Headington and park at Thornhill. The nut comes off and plain nuts go on.
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Written and checked by Hiwad Yarkhil, founder of Rescue Tyres LTD, Unit 9 Adrian Avenue, Brent Cross, London NW2 1LX. Updated 2026-10-08.
Parked off the A40 at Westway Cross, Westfield, West Ruislip or Thornhill? Tell us the bay and the sidewall size.
