Flat tyre in London? What to do in the next 10 minutes

Getting a flat tyre is stressful — especially on a busy London road or motorway. The first ten minutes matter most. Follow these steps and you'll stay safe, avoid a recovery bill, and most likely be back on the road inside an hour.

1. Get to a safe place — then stop

If you hear a sudden bang or feel the steering pull, don't slam on the brakes. Ease off the accelerator, grip the wheel firmly, and coast to the nearest safe verge, lay-by or side street. On a smart motorway with no hard shoulder, aim for the next emergency refuge area or motorway exit. If you genuinely can't move, switch on hazard lights and call 999.

2. Don't keep driving on a flat

It's tempting to limp the last mile home. Don't. Driving on a fully flat tyre wrecks the sidewall, often kills the alloy, and can damage the brake and suspension. A repairable puncture turns into a new tyre and a bent rim in under a mile.

3. Check whether it's repairable

Most punctures in the central tread area can be repaired to British Standard BS AU 159 — that means a permanent internal mushroom-plug repair, not a temporary plug from outside. Damage in the sidewall, anything bigger than 6mm, or a tyre that's already been driven flat usually means a replacement.

4. Call a mobile tyre fitter instead of a recovery truck

Recovery trucks tow you to a garage and you wait. A mobile tyre fitter comes to you with the new tyre on board, fits it on your driveway, kerb or hard shoulder, balances the wheel and takes the old one away. For most cars, vans and 4x4s we're with you the same day — often inside the hour across London and Surrey.

5. Have these details ready when you call

• Tyre size from the sidewall (e.g. 205/55 R16 91V)
• Make, model and year of the car
• Exact location or What3Words — a road name plus the side of the carriageway is fine
• Whether the locking wheel nut key is in the car
• Whether you're safe to wait at the vehicle

When NOT to wait for a mobile fitter

If you're on a live lane of a smart motorway, behind a blind bend, or in a tunnel, get out of the vehicle on the non-traffic side, get behind a barrier if one exists, and call 999. We'll arrange to meet you at a safer location once Highways has cleared the lane.