Roadside Safety Guides › Tire Blowout

Tire Blowout on the Highway: What To Do First

The first 10 seconds after a blowout matter more than anything else you do.

Don’t Slam the Brakes

The instinct is to hit the brakes hard — that’s the wrong move. A sudden blowout, especially on a front tire, pulls the car sharply toward the blown side. Hard braking on top of that can send the vehicle into a spin, especially at highway speeds on I-94 or US-31. Instead, ease off the accelerator and let the car slow naturally.

Grip the Wheel and Steer Straight

Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands and resist the pull. Keep the car pointed straight ahead as it decelerates. Fighting the pull too hard in the opposite direction is almost as dangerous as not correcting at all — small, steady corrections are what keep the car tracking straight.

Signal and Move to the Shoulder Gradually

Once the car has slowed to a manageable speed, signal and move toward the shoulder in a smooth, gradual line — not a sharp cut across lanes. Get as far right (or left, on a divided highway with a left shoulder) as safely possible, ideally past the rumble strips and away from the traffic lane entirely.

Once You’re Stopped

• Turn on your hazard lights immediately.
• Stay inside the vehicle with your seatbelt on if you’re on a busy highway shoulder — exiting into live traffic is often more dangerous than the blowout itself.
• If you must exit, do so from the side away from traffic and move well clear of the road, ideally behind a guardrail if one is present.
• Call for a tow rather than attempting a roadside tire change on a highway shoulder — changing a tire that close to live traffic is genuinely dangerous.

Why Blowouts Happen

Underinflation is the leading cause — a tire running low on air flexes more with every rotation, building heat until the sidewall fails. Age-related dry rot, road debris, and worn tread also contribute. Checking your tread with the quarter test regularly is one of the simplest ways to catch a tire before it fails at speed. The NHTSA’s tire safety guidance covers proper inflation and tread depth standards in more depth.

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