Most manufacturers will advise against repairing a run flat tyre and will suggest that you buy a new one for safety’s sake. As a result of these risks, it’s recommended to consult your car’s manufacturer before making the decision. Most likely, there will be no additional space to keep a spare tyre, and no tyre changing equipment in the car.Ĭhanging from run flat tyres to standard tyres could also affect the handling of your car and may even damage the suspension. However, replacing run flat tyres with standard tyres is a bad idea. Run flat tyres can be expensive as they’re not as widely available as standard tyres. Are they interchangeable with standard tyres? This will improve fuel efficiency and mileage, meaning that in the long term, your car could be cheaper to run. Run flat tyres also free up space in the boot and mean that your car doesn’t have to carry around extra weight. This means that drivers don’t have to worry about pulling over and changing a tyre at the side of the road, which can be dangerous - especially in wet weather or at night. Their strengthened sidewalls can support the weight of the car in the event of a puncture, and even reduce the risk of tyre blowout. This means that if a tyre suffers a puncture, a warning light flashes up on your car’s control centre, making it clear that you need to find a garage or replace your tyres. Run flat tyres also often come with an electronic warning system (or tyre pressure monitoring system) that is built into the car. Run flat tyres have stronger sidewalls than regular car tyres, meaning that you can drive on them when they have punctures for up to 50 miles (provided you stay slow, typically beneath 50mph). You can check if you have run flat tyres on your car by looking at your tyre sidewalls or checking the boot of your car – if there’s no spare tyre there, it’s likely that your car is fitted with run flats. Although most cars are still fitted with standard tyres, run flat tyres are now fitted as standard in many cars, including those manufactured by BMW and Mini. Their specially reinforced sidewalls make it possible to drive safely on a punctured tyre for 50 miles, at speeds of up to 50mph.

What is a run flat tire