Tire Blew Out and Spare Is Also Flat: What to Do Right Now: What Drivers Should Know

> **Quick Answer:** You are stranded and cannot drive. Do not attempt to limp on a flat spare. Get off the roadway completely, turn on your hazards, and call for a tow or roadside assistance. A tow to the nearest tire shop is your fastest path out of this. Most roadside assistance programs cover a flat tire change, but if both tires are unusable, you need a tow, not just a service call.

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## What To Do

1. **Get fully off the road.** If you blew a tire and pulled over but are still partly in a lane or on a highway shoulder, your priority is distance from traffic. Drive on the rim for a few seconds if you have to. A destroyed rim costs less than getting hit.

2. **Turn on your hazards immediately.** Every second matters on a highway shoulder. If you have road flares or reflective triangles, place them 50 to 100 feet behind your car.

3. **Do not try to drive on the flat spare.** A flat spare is not a spare. It gives you zero load capacity. Driving on it will shred the tire, damage the rim, and potentially cause another blowout. You will make the situation worse and more expensive.

4. **Check your roadside assistance coverage.** Open your insurance app, your AAA membership, or the glove box card right now. Call the number. Tell them you have a blown tire and a flat spare. They need to send a tow, not just a tire change truck. If you have GEICO, State Farm, AAA, or any major carrier, [your roadside assistance towing coverage likely applies here](/geico-roadside-assistance-towing-limits-how-many-miles/) and may cover the tow at no out-of-pocket cost.

5. **If you have no roadside assistance, call a tow truck directly.** Search "tow truck near me" or call 311. Give your exact location using mile markers, the highway name, and direction of travel. Most tow companies can locate you faster with a mile marker than a cross street.

6. **Request a flatbed if possible.** A flatbed keeps all four wheels off the ground, which protects your blown-out corner from further damage during transport. [A flatbed tow typically costs $10 to $20 more than a wheel-lift](/blown-tire-highway-speed-what-to-do/) but is worth it when a rim may already be compromised.

7. **Tell the tow operator exactly where you want to go.** The nearest open tire shop is your best bet. If it is after hours, ask the operator which shops they know to be open. Tow operators do this every day and usually know who is running late or has a 24-hour bay.

8. **Stay in the car with doors locked if you are on a highway.** Exit the passenger side only if you need to step out. Standing on the driver's side of a highway shoulder is dangerous.

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![changing tire car](/images/tire-blew-out-spare-is-also-flat-what-to-do/mid.jpg)
*Photo: Pexels*

## What It Might Cost

A tow to a local tire shop typically runs $75 to $125 for the first 5 miles, then $3 to $7 per mile after that. If you are on a freeway and the shop is 10 miles away, expect to pay $100 to $175 out of pocket without coverage. [Towing cost from a highway to the nearest exit](/towing-cost-from-highway-to-nearest-exit/) is sometimes less if you only need to get off the freeway and can arrange pickup from there.

Two new tires at a shop will run $100 to $300 depending on size and brand, plus installation. Budget $150 to $500 total to get back on the road, including the tow.

If your spare is a full-size spare that simply needs air, a roadside tire inflation service call is cheaper than a tow, usually $50 to $75. Ask when you call.

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![roadside assistance](/images/tire-blew-out-spare-is-also-flat-what-to-do/bottom.jpg)
*Photo: Pexels*

## Stay Safe

- Stay behind the guardrail if one is present and you are on a highway.
- Keep your phone charged. Use low-power mode now.
- Do not accept help from strangers who stop uninvited, especially at night. Wait for the professional you called.
- If you are in an unsafe area after dark, [read this before deciding whether to stay with the car](/car-broke-down-bad-neighborhood-night-what-to-do/).
- Keep your registration and insurance card accessible so you can hand them to the tow driver without digging through the glove box in traffic.
- Never stand behind your vehicle while waiting for a tow.

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*Need roadside help? Visit [Tow With The Flow](https://towwiththeflow.com/tire-blew-out-spare-is-also-flat-what-to-do/) for real answers when your car breaks down.*