Can you drive on a low tyre?
It depends how low. A tyre that's a few psi down is fine to drive gently to the nearest air. A tyre that's visibly soft or flat isn't, and driving on it can turn a cheap repair into a new tyre.
| How low | What to do |
|---|---|
| A few psi down: warning light on, tyre looks normal | Drive gently to the nearest air, top up, and reset the warning if your car needs it. |
| Visibly soft | Drive slowly, only as far as a safe place to stop. Then pump it up, use a sealant kit, or change the wheel. |
| Flat, or a bulge in the sidewall | Don't drive on it. Use the spare or a sealant kit, or call for help. |
Why a soft tyre is a problem
With too little air, the sidewalls flex more on every turn of the wheel, and flexing makes heat. At low speed around town that mostly means extra wear. At motorway speed, especially with a full car on a warm day, it's how tyres fail. A soft tyre also makes the steering vaguer and the car slower to stop, particularly in the wet.
Why you shouldn't drive on a flat
A flat tyre is crushed between the wheel rim and the road. Even a short distance can damage the inside of the sidewall, and often the wheel too. A tyre that's been driven flat usually can't be repaired, even if the hole itself was tiny.
Signs while you're driving
- The car pulls to one side.
- The steering feels heavy, vague or wobbly.
- A rumbling or flapping noise, or a new vibration.
If you notice any of these, slow down gently and pull over somewhere safe to look.
Run-flat tyres
Run-flats have stiff sidewalls that hold the car up after a puncture, so you can keep going for a limited distance, often up to about 50 miles at up to 50 mph. Your handbook gives the exact figures for your car. Because they don't look flat, cars with run-flats have a pressure warning system to tell you. Most fitters won't repair a run-flat after it's been driven deflated, so expect to replace it.
On a motorway
Leave at the next exit if you can, or stop in an emergency area or on the hard shoulder. The Highway Code says not to attempt repairs on the motorway: get out on the side away from traffic, behind the barrier if it's safe, and call your breakdown service. If you can't get out of a live lane, stay in the car with your seatbelt and hazard lights on, and call 999.