Can You Keep Driving with a Flat Tire?
2 Answers
Whether you can continue driving with a flat tire depends on the severity of the air leak. If you notice a flat tire, first turn on your hazard lights and pull over to inspect it. If you have an air pump in your car, try inflating the tire slightly. If the leak is slow and you don't have a tire repair kit or air pump, you may drive slowly to a repair shop for inspection. Below are some tire maintenance tips: 1. Check tire condition: Regularly inspect your tires for punctures or embedded objects and repair them promptly. Over time, tires may develop tiny "pinholes" due to aging, so replace them when they show signs of wear. 2. Inspect the rims: Regularly check the rims, as they must maintain a tight seal with the tire. If a rim is deformed, it won't fit properly with the tire, so repair or replace it as needed.
I personally witnessed a friend driving three kilometers with a flat tire, which resulted in the entire wheel rim being deformed and scrapped. If your tire is leaking air, you must pull over immediately! Don’t underestimate this—a leak causes excessive bending of the tire sidewall, and the faster you drive, the higher the rubber temperature rises, risking a blowout or the rim damaging the road surface in minutes. Even if it’s just a slow leak, don’t take chances. If the tire pressure is 30% below the standard value, don’t drive—it will increase braking distance and make the car more prone to skidding in rainy conditions. My advice is to turn on your hazard lights once stopped and immediately use a tire pressure gauge to check the exact reading. If the puncture is on the tread and not too large, using a tire sealant as an emergency measure to reach a repair shop is acceptable. Also, don’t exceed 80 km/h when driving on a spare tire. Once at the repair shop, have the mechanic check whether the rim is damaged—that’s the right solution.
