Oh no! You’ve suffered a flat tire. Don’t they always seem to happen at the worst moments, like in the pouring rain or while you’re running late for a big meeting? Nevertheless, you got a flat while you were driving down the highway and now you have to pull over and change it. Happens to the best of us.
If you find yourself in a situation as such, it’s important to maintain the utmost safety. With all those cars whizzing right by you at high speeds, now more than ever you need to do what’s right to get your flat fixed while not putting yourself into unnecessary danger.
As well as being Atlanta’s workers’ compensation lawyer, I’m also one of the city’s auto accident attorneys. With that said, I’d rather see everyone stay safe than to have to represent an accident victim, so follow these rules to change your tire safely.
Use emergency flashers: As soon as the flat tire happens, put on your hazard lights—and keep them on. That will inform nearby drivers that you are in an emergency situation, and they’ll know to yield the right of way to you to pull over to the shoulder. Keep them on to notify drivers headed down the road that you are there.
Pull over to a safe location: That means pulling off to a clear shoulder. It also means pulling onto a flat area. When you lift your car up, you don’t want to do so on any sort of incline. Also, try to keep it on the pavement, as sinking dirt can be dangerous when you’re lifting your vehicle up.
Use reflective markers: Many people don’t own these, but they go a long way in ensuring safety. Keep a set of triangular safety markers in your trunk, so when you’re changing a flat you can place them behind your vehicle, allowing passing drivers to have plenty of time to see you and move out of the way.
Use the driver’s manual: Now that you’re set up with safety precautions, it’s important that you follow the owner’s manual instructions to change the flat as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible.
Once you’re all set, collect your belongings and wait for a wide clearing to enter the roadway. If you’re using a donut for the time being, make sure to proceed slowly and in the slow vehicle lane. Take your car to a tire shop as soon as possible to get the right sized replacement.
If you’re in need of an auto accident or workers’ compensation lawyer around Atlanta, please give me a call and I’ll be happy to set up a meeting and discuss your rights. Until then, please stay safe on the roads!
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