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What is this guide for?
This guide is here to help you understand what's happening to your tyre and what the sensible thing to do is, even before you call anyone. The articles are written to be read on a smartphone, even when you're stuck at the side of the road.
Each page answers a single question, with an "In brief" box at the top and more detail below. We only quote a regulation or a technical figure when it's certain; otherwise we tell you to check your vehicle's owner's handbook or the tyre manufacturer's instructions.
Safety: what to do straight after a puncture
The first thing to do after a puncture is make yourself safe: the tyre comes second. These two guides help you decide how to act in the first few minutes.
- How to stay safe after a puncture: in town, on the ring road and on the motorway, warning triangle, high-visibility vest, motorbikes.
- Can you drive on a punctured tyre?: when to stop immediately and why driving on a flat damages the tyre and the wheel rim.
Repair: can it be repaired or does it need replacing?
Not every damaged tyre can be repaired: it depends on where the damage is, how extensive it is and how the tyre was used after the puncture.
- When can a tyre be repaired?: tread, shoulder, cuts and tyres driven while flat.
- Repair kit or space-saver?: a comparison of the two emergency solutions, with a table.
- Bulge on a tyre: what a bulge on the sidewall means and why it shouldn't be ignored.
Technical: understanding your tyre
Knowing a few details about your tyre saves time when you ask for help and helps you understand your car's warnings.
- How to read a tyre size: width, aspect ratio, diameter, load index, speed rating and DOT date.
- Tyre pressure warning light: what it means, the difference between direct and indirect TPMS, how to reset it.
- Run-flat tyres: how they work: how to recognise them and how far you can go after a puncture.
Quick questions: what problem do you have right now?
If you already have a specific problem, each of these pages describes one symptom: what it means, what to do and whether it can usually be repaired.
- I've picked up a nail or a screw: nail in the tyre
- The tyre is slowly losing air: deflated tyre
- The tyre is completely flat: flat tyre
- I've had a puncture and need to get going again: punctured tyre
- I heard a bang and the tyre is destroyed: tyre blowout
- There's a cut in the tyre: cut tyre
- I don't have a spare wheel: no spare wheel
- I've had a puncture on run-flat tyres: punctured run-flat
You'll find the full list in the tyre problems section.
Need a call-out in Milan?
If you're in Milan or the surrounding province and would rather not deal with the problem yourself, SOS Tyre offers 24/7 tyre roadside assistance, 7 days a week: we set off as soon as you call and reach your vehicle in 30 minutes on average. You can call +39 377 326 0999 or fill in the assistance request with your location, vehicle and tyre size.
Frequently asked questions
Do SOS Tyre's guides replace the vehicle handbook?
No. The guides explain general principles that apply to most vehicles, but specific values, such as pressures, space-saver limits or run-flat range, should always be checked in the owner's handbook and the tyre manufacturer's instructions.
How are these guides written?
Each guide answers a single question, in a neutral way. We only quote regulations and technical data when they're certain and, where useful, we give the official source. When a figure depends on the vehicle or the manufacturer, we say so explicitly rather than generalising.
Which guide should I start with if I've just had a puncture?
Start with how to stay safe after a puncture: your safety is the priority. Then read can you drive on a punctured tyre to decide whether to move or stay put.
Do the guides also apply to motorbikes and vans?
The basic principles, such as not driving on a flat tyre or reading the size, apply to all vehicles. Some rules differ: for example, in Italy the warning triangle is not compulsory on two-wheeled motorbikes and mopeds. When a difference matters, the guide points it out.