Photo: leekelleher / Flickr

It’s raining and you’re all alone on a deserted stretch of highway with a flat tyre. Your mobile’s battery gave up the ghost just as your tyre blew and there isn’t a soul in sight. To top it all, you’re on your way to a wedding and you’re not exactly dressed to get down in the dirt. Now what would Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson do in a similar situation? Well, you don’t have to be a car expert to learn how to change a tyre.

What your driving instructor should have taught you

So you’ve gotten your driving licence and you’re now legally allowed behind the wheel. You’re so excited to finally be joining the masses on our congested highways that you have not spared a thought to any mishaps that might occur. Like a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere.

But have no fear; there are few tricks you can learn to change a tyre quickly and with minimal mess. When you suspect that your tyre has blown, stay calm and follow these simple steps. You should not slam on the brakes. Rather take your foot off the accelerator slowly and steer your car onto a level spot on the side of the road. Once you’ve switched off the car and your hazards on, and pulled up the handbrake, it’s time to…

… Get down and dirty

First, take out the carpet of your boot and pull out the spare wheel, the jack and the wheel wrench.

Next, loosen up the wheel nuts and then jack up the car.

You can now remove the wheel nuts and put them where you can find them again.

Remove the burst tyre and replace it with the new one. You should tighten the wheel nuts very lightly.

Lower the car gently. Once the car is back on the ground, tighten the nuts properly.

Voilà!

Replace everything in the boot and check that the nuts are secure. Make sure to have your tyre fixed as soon as possible as the spare wheel will only take you so far.