General advice in emergency situations

Stay calm and act deliberately. Panic leads to sharp, instinctive inputs that usually make emergencies worse. The driver who grips the wheel firmly, looks ahead rather than at the hazard, and makes smooth corrections has far better outcomes than one who reacts with a sudden swerve or hard brake. Most driving emergencies — skids, blowouts, mechanical failures — have a correct response that works when applied calmly and doesn't work when applied in panic.

Activate hazard lights immediately once you recognize an emergency is developing. If you have time, sound the horn to alert nearby drivers. Once stopped, place warning triangles or flares behind the vehicle — well back from it — to give approaching drivers advance warning. Keep the hazard lights running until the situation is resolved. At night or in poor visibility, every additional second of warning matters.

Stay in the car if you're on a busy road, motorway, or anywhere where being outside presents a greater risk than remaining inside. If you must stop on a highway shoulder, keep occupants inside with seatbelts on whenever possible, away from the traffic side. Get out only when it's genuinely safer — a vehicle fire or submersion are the primary exceptions. When you do exit, move well away from the vehicle and the roadway, toward a barrier or safely off the road.

Drivers who have thought through emergency scenarios in advance respond faster and more effectively than those encountering the situation for the first time. Simply knowing the correct response to a blowout — don't brake, maintain throttle briefly, steer to the shoulder — makes it far more likely you'll execute it correctly under stress. Reading guidance like Michelin's emergency pages and mentally rehearsing the steps is a genuine safety preparation, not just educational content.

Your location first — as precisely as possible, including highway number, direction of travel, and any visible landmarks or mile markers. Then describe what happened (tire failure, brake issue, collision), whether anyone is injured, and whether the vehicle is creating a hazard. Keep the call brief and accurate. If your location is uncertain, describe what you can see around you — the dispatcher can help you identify where you are.

Have it professionally inspected before returning to normal use. What felt like a manageable incident may have caused damage that isn't immediately visible — a hard impact with a curb or pothole can misalign wheels and damage tire structures, a brake issue may recur, and a hard skid can leave the tires with flat spots or internal damage. A short inspection is far cheaper than managing a repeat failure on the road.