You’re driving down the highway and suddenly the dashboard tells you there’s a pressure problem, after a while you feel a lack of air in the wheel. You start by pulling over into the emergency lane, what next?
As is usually the case, “wise Pole after the event”. However, you do not have to put this rule into practice. Just make sure you check the pressure in each of your car’s four tires before every long trip. Why? In many situations the problem begins much earlier, maybe then you can detect the incorrect amount of pressure and adjust it, equalizing the value to that of the rest of the tires. Insufficient pressure in even one tire means faster wear of the entire set, in addition to more frequent visits to the gas station. So it’s worth to check your car before the trip, it costs nothing, takes just a moment, and the foot pump or automatic pump has almost everyone. If not, just go to the gas station!
Unfortunately you did not do it, you are driving on the highway and you feel that it pulls you in one direction – probably it is the pressure. After a while you feel that it is less and less, and after a few moments you feel a strong pull to the left or right, then it is time to pull over, you can not risk it. It turns out that there is no air in the wheel on the driver’s side. What to do then? Contrary to popular belief, replacing a tire is not always the best option.
Unfortunately not everyone knows this, but stopping on the highway is not allowed. When you have no choice and the car has broken down, remember to mark it properly. It is no different in the case of no air in the tire, or a significant loss of pressure. However, let’s go back to the situation where you feel yourself jerking hard to one side. Quickly run off the road, don’t stop or even slow down hard in the right lane, turn on your hazard lights and try to pull over into the emergency lane. Another consideration – don’t get out of your car right away. Even in the right lane, cars can travel at speeds of up to 140 kilometers, and there is no shortage of pirates who try to overtake in this lane going faster. By not checking the road behind you, you can cause a traffic disaster. You know very well that on the highway, even one vehicle can pull another, like dominoes. So remember not to get out of the car right away
If there are other passengers in the car, direct them to get out of the right side of the vehicle, let them go through the guardrails for their own safety. They should remain there until roadside assistance arrives or you change the tire (or deflate it if you have a tire inflator in the trunk, but we assume you don’t). The next step is to put on a reflective vest and put up a warning triangle about 100 meters (may be more) from where your car is parked. It is best not to decide to change the tires yourself. Especially if the tire on the side of the road has been damaged. Even just the rush of air from trucks traveling at 90 kilometers per hour can cause you to fall onto the road without keeping your balance. So, forget about replacing from this side. Just call roadside assistance, a few hundred zloty for a tow means nothing when your health and life are at stake. The matter is even simpler when you have Assistance. You will not pay anything for towing and you will get a replacement car!
No air in the tire on the right side? You want to replace the wheel by yourself? It may turn out to be impossible. First of all, you must have a full-size spare wheel, which is quite heavy. Regulations allow you to drive on a spare for a short period of time. However, you may find that there is a directional spare in your trunk, what does that mean? You will only put it on the right or only on the left side of your car. If you have a left-side spare, there’s no chance of replacing it
Another issue is the access wheel. It is much lighter than a spare, you will sense right away that this is the type. You can drive a certain amount of miles on it, and that’s at a really low highway speed. With quality access wheels the maximum speed is about 80 kilometers per hour, so you will be overtaken on the road by any truck. If the nearest repair shop is quite a few kilometers from you, don’t risk driving on a commuter, call for help.
(Photo: pixabay.com)
