Can You Drive On A Flat Tire In An Emergency?

If you have a flat tire, the question on your mind is probably whether or not it’s safe to drive on it.

You can drive on a flat tire in an emergency, but only if absolutely necessary. You should reduce your speed to 20 mph and repair or replace it as soon as you can.

There are many considerations, however.

The first is whether it is safe to change a flat tire where you are now.  

If you’re at the side of a quiet road and feel safe and able to change the tire, you are not in an emergency and should change it.

If you are on a highway and feel unsafe with cars coming towards you at high speed, you may be best driving on a flat and getting off at the next exit. 

If you have a flat and need to be somewhere urgently to protect someone or get them to a hospital, then it would be ok to drive on a flat. 

Simply classing an emergency as being late for an appointment would not be an emergency, and the police, if stopped, may decide to take further action.

Run On A Run Flat Tire In An Emergency

Run-flat tires are fantastic and mean you can get yourself to a place of safety before having to change a tire. There are limits to run-flat tires, though.  

You should only drive at speeds of 50 mph and for no more than 100 miles on a run flat in an emergency. After this, the tire sidewall may become unstable and collapse. 

This could be extremely dangerous for you and other road users.

Generally, you should be alerted that your run-flat tire is punctured by the TPMS system, so you should have ample time to change it before you need to drive on a run-flat tire in an emergency.

Other Damage That Can Be Caused By Running On A Flat Tire In An Emergency

Driving on a flat tire will cause considerable damage to the tire itself. As it’s likely that your tire sidewall has come into contact with the road surface, your tire sidewall structure has likely been compromised.

The tire is unusable, and you will need to buy a new one.

It gets worse, though.

Driving on a flat tire will cause damage to your wheel or rim.  Often people go to a tire shop to replace a tire only to be told that their rim is bent and out of round from driving on it. 

The suspension on that corner of the car could also be damaged as it has been put under undue stress by not having a tire to help it travel over bumps and uneven road surfaces.

In reality, this will only happen if you drive on a flat tire for a long time.

Answered in More Detail Here: Can I Drive On A Run Flat Tire? [ANSWERED]

What Constitutes An Emergency

It’s important to realize what an emergency is. An emergency would be classed as a risk to life or limb.

In these circumstances, the police are likely to agree with you should you be stopped when driving with a flat tire.

Just being late to take the kids to school or for an appointment, or for work is not a justifiable reason to be driving on a flat tire.

The police show interest in drivers traveling on flats because a vehicle will be much more unstable if a tire is flat.

It can make your steering vague and unresponsive and making more prone to be involved in car accidents. 

Damage To The Road By Running On A Flat Tire

Have you ever seen a helicopter recording a police chase down the highway on television? 

Sometimes they will put a spike strip out to burst the car tires and get it to slow down.

When the car doesn’t stop, the tires will often be shredded, and the car will run on rims. This metal to road contact can scar the concrete or asphalt on roads.  

If you drive on a flat tire for too long, it could separate away from the rim, and you could be causing similar damage to the road surface.  

Not only would your rim or your wheel be unusable you could also be liable for the repair cost to the road to replace the gouges within it. 

How Far Can You Drive On A Semi-Flat Tire?

Drive to the nearest gas station to refill your tire pressure.

It really is a false economy to drive on a semi flat tire.   You may not realize it, but you could be driving on the sidewall.

When your tire leaks, it sinks a little. The sidewall then comes into contact with the road and is not designed for this purpose. It becomes scuffed and weakens; when this happens, the tire should not be driven on even after you’ve inflated it. 

How Far Can You Drive Slowly On A Flat Tire

A shorter distance as possible. Driving on a flat tire is unsafe, even in an emergency.

Do not be tempted to go any faster than 20 mph on a flat tire because you are at risk of its separating away from the rim and losing control of your car.

Do I Have To Tell Police If I Have A Flat On The Highway?

You don’t have to tell the police, but you might feel that if you are in a really bad spot might need some help, it might be best to.

The last thing the police wants is to deal with a serious accident when it would have been easier to come out and ensure you were safe.  

They’re not obligated to help you fix your tire or fit a spare for you. But they do have a duty to protect the public from harm. 

Often read next: How Fast Can You Drive On A Flat Tire? [ANSWERED]

Conclusion

You can drive a short distance in an emergency on a flat tire.  

An emergency would be if you are in a bad spot on a busy road and need to get somewhere safer or if you were taking someone to hospital who is seriously ill.  

It would be best if you only drove for as long as you need to before you either re inflate the tire or change over to a spare.