Can You Drive on the Highway with a Nail in the Tire?
2 Answers
If the tire has not been repaired after being punctured by a nail, you should not drive on the highway. It is recommended to visit a professional repair shop before continuing to drive. Correct actions to take when a car tire is punctured by a nail: Check for air leakage after the puncture: If the tire loses air quickly after being punctured by a nail, it indicates that the nail has penetrated the tire. In such cases, if you are close to a nearby repair shop, you can use a portable air pump to inflate the tire and then drive to the repair shop. However, if the tire loses air very rapidly, do not continue driving, as this can cause significant damage to the tire. Instead, replace it with the spare tire before driving to the repair shop. If the punctured tire is a run-flat tire, you can drive at a speed not exceeding 80 km/h to the nearest repair shop. No air leakage after puncture: If you find a nail in the tire but there is no noticeable air leakage, do not remove the nail yourself. Instead, you can use saliva to check if there is any air leakage at the puncture site. Initially, a nail puncture may not cause immediate air loss, but over time, the tire may gradually lose air. Therefore, it is essential to address the issue as soon as possible.
Driving on the highway with a nail in your tire? That's way too risky! In all my years of driving, I've seen plenty of cases where something seemingly minor like this led to major accidents. A nail in the tire can cause slow air leakage, and especially on highways where friction is high, the tire temperature rises quickly, making a blowout much more likely. A blowout can easily cause loss of control, potentially leading to rollovers or rear-end collisions. If you discover a nail in your tire, you should pull over immediately and check the tire pressure. If the pressure has dropped, don't push your luck. Either change to the spare tire and drive slowly to a repair shop, or call for a tow truck if you don't have a spare. The highway is no place to take chances—no matter how pressed for time you are, safety always comes first. Making it a habit to check your tires before driving can help you avoid such troubles in the first place.
