How to Handle a Tire Blowout at High Speed

Your instinct when a tire blows out is to brake hard — and that instinct is dead wrong. Hard braking on a blown tire will cause the car to pull violently to one side and potentially spin or flip. Instead: grip the steering wheel firmly with both hands, gently accelerate for 1-2 seconds to stabilize the vehicle and maintain a straight line, then slowly ease off the gas and coast to the shoulder. Don't jerk the wheel. Let the car slow down on its own before lightly applying the brakes. The whole maneuver feels counterintuitive, which is why knowing it beforehand matters.