Flat tires are an inconvenience at best and total nuisance at worst. If you find that you have frequent flat tires on your vehicle, it may be time to look at what is causing them. It is also worth it to do everything you can to prevent them.

Check Your Driveway, Lawn, Sidewalk, and Street for Nails

Sharp bits of metal, such as nails and jagged metal scraps, can tear into a tire, come loose, and then leave behind a hole that causes the air to leak out. While a visual scan of your driveway, sidewalk, and street can help prevent these issues, you will need some extra help with scanning the yard for nails. 

You can either use a metal detector to go over your lawn near the driveway or use a rolling shop magnet sweeper to find nails and other sharp pieces of metal. The metal detector will tell you where to look for metal. The rolling shop magnet sweeper will automatically pick up any loose metal bits as you roll it over the top of the grass.

Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated

You were probably not informed of this in driver's education classes, but keeping your tires inflated not only increases your car's fuel efficiency, but also prevents flat tires and tire blow-outs. Think about it for a second; a flat tire has a wider base, right? A wider base means that there is more surface area touching the road, which increases the chance that you will roll over something sharp. When that happens, the tire pops, wobbles hard, and pulls you off the road in the direction of the popped tire. It is always a better idea to just keep your tires properly inflated.

Buy Tires That Are Flat-Proof

There are specialty tires that you can buy that prevent flats from derailing you. These tires have a double walled interior with reinforcements in both layers. When the outer layer has been punctured, the inner layer protects the tire from leaking air.

You will notice that your tire goes a little soft, but it does not go all the way flat. These tires are especially useful if you drive long distances for work or take frequent road trips. They will prevent unexpected stops, unexpected delays, and unexpected expenses when you are traveling.

If You Still Get a Flat

If you still get a flat after trying to prevent one, go to a tire shop right away. The problem may be something else you did not expect, such as not having enough tread left on the tire. Then you can buy a new set of tires so that all of the treads on all four tires will wear evenly. This also prevents flats from happening.