This Is One Of The Worst Locations To Change A Tire - And Here's Why

A flat tire is one of those headaches most drivers would prefer to avoid at any cost. It is, nonetheless, the sort of headache that most vehicle owners will almost inevitably be forced to deal with at some point in their life. Given that fact, it is important for any driver to learn which mistakes to avoid when changing a car tire.

Of course, you can't always control the whens and wheres of a tire going flat. Some might even argue that the only thing you can really be sure of is that it will likely happen at the worst possible time, and in the worst possible place. Those same people would likely also note that there is never a good time to be tasked with changing a flat. There are, however, certain locations that are better suited than others for tackling that job.

When it comes to the worst places in which you could be forced to change a car tire, the first spots that come to mind might be on a busy freeway, or on a poorly lit back road at night. However, either of those locations would probably be preferable to getting a flat while you're on any sort of incline. That includes locations with even a moderate slope, such as city streets, parking lots, and even your own driveway. Along with those areas, steeply inclined mountainous roads are particularly bad places to change a tire, and there's a very good reason for that.  

Safety is, obviously, the primary concern when changing a car tire on an incline, even if you have all the right tire-changing gear. That's because you have to lift your vehicle on a jack to swap the tires. Frankly, doing so even on a flat surface can be dangerous enough. The peril effectively doubles when you try to use a jack on an incline, as it will be far more prone to shifting or even failing entirely. That could result in the vehicle itself dislodging and falling during use, or potentially rolling away while you're working.

Should that happen, the best-case scenario would likely be damage to your vehicle's wheelbase and undercarriage. The car could also roll into oncoming traffic, endangering other vehicles and their drivers. If you're working under the car or just standing near it when the jack falters, the outcome could even be severe injury or death.

So, what should you do if you find yourself with a flat tire on a hill? The simplest answer to that question is to slowly press on and try to find a safe, flat area to stop. Depending on the road, that may not be an option, and driving too far on the flat could also damage the vehicle. Ultimately, the best option may be to simply park the car as far off the road as possible and call for professional assistance, as tow trucks may be equipped with gear designed for such work. At worst, they can help you get your car to a garage, where they may still be able to plug or patch the flat.