Summer means a lot of y’all will probably be picking up summer jobs, traveling with family, road trips with friends and just out and about more. With an increase in the amount of driving you might do, we here at Teens in the Driver Seat thought it would be a great idea to do a short series of blogs about vehicle breakdowns and low tech solutions to roadside survival.
Tire related issues
One of the top reasons for pulling over, roadside, is a blown out or flat tire. Let’s be honest, being in that situation stinks, but not being prepared to quickly remedy the situations just makes it all the more worst. Below is a combo of tips from us and Walt Brinker, author of Roadside Survival – Low-tech Solutions to Automobile Breakdowns.
Always be prepared:
- If you have never been in a situation like that, spend a little time practicing a test run. Pull out your user manual and walk through the step-by-step process of changing a tire. You want to make sure you know where all the equipment is location, how to correctly remove, and replace your tire with a space.
- Make sure that your spare tire is the appropriate size, has good inflation, and in good condition. It’s also important to have the spare tire serviced, repaired or replaced after each use.
- Depending on the situation and if you have the coverage, call a roadside assistance company to come and change the tire. Some reasons for this: changing a tire by the side of the road can be dangerous, you might not have the appropriate tools, if it dark outside, or you are in an unsafe area.
Additional items to have:
- Use the reflective warning triangles once pulled over. This helps other drivers steer clear from you and keep you safe. Check out the previous post for tips about safely pulling over.
- Tire pressure gauge and a 12-volt air compressor, just in case you need to fill up the spare tire before use.
- Wheel chocks to prevent the car from rolling away
- Have an old towel, cheap tarp and work gloves. Lay the tarp and towel down before working on the tire to keep yourself from getting super dirty. Plus wearing gloves will prevent you from messing up your hands.
Up next time: What to do if your car runs out of gas.
Reference:
Brinker, W. (2014). Roadside survival: Low-tech solutions to automobile breakdowns. United States: Lighting Source Publishing Platform. www.roadsidesurvival.com