Flat tire on I-95 or a Florida highway: what to do and who to call

FlatFixVault tire guide · Published 2026-10-15

A flat on a busy highway is different from a flat in a parking lot. Traffic is heavy and close, shoulders can be narrow, and the safest choice is often not to change the tire yourself. This guide covers what to do in the first minutes, who to call in Florida, and how to get the tire repaired or replaced afterwards.

First: get the car and yourself out of the traffic

• Turn on your hazard lights as soon as you feel the tire go.
• Hold the wheel firmly and ease off the gas. Do not brake hard. Let the car slow down, then steer gently toward the shoulder.
• Choose the safest place you can reach. A wide shoulder, an exit ramp or the next exit is better than a narrow strip beside a travel lane. Driving a short distance slowly to reach a safer spot is reasonable; driving far on a flat is not (see how far you can drive on a flat).
• If you have to get out, use the side away from traffic and stand well away from the travel lanes. Keep passengers together and away from the car's traffic side.

Who to call in Florida

911 is for emergencies: someone is hurt, the car is in a travel lane, there is a fire, or you feel unsafe where you are.

*FHP (*347) is the Florida Highway Patrol's cell phone number. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, it is used by motorists to report crashes, impaired drivers and stranded or disabled motorists, and the call reaches the nearest FHP communications center free of charge.

Road Rangers are the Florida Department of Transportation's highway patrol vehicles. FDOT says they help stranded motorists, clear debris and set up traffic control at incidents, that motorists are not charged for the service, and that you request them by dialing *347. FDOT also says availability varies across the state and that Road Rangers patrol the expressways in their coverage areas. If a repair is more than they can do, FDOT says the Road Ranger moves the vehicle out of the travel lane and FHP can call a towing service at the motorist's expense.

Your own auto insurance or motor club may include towing or tire help; the number is usually on your insurance card or app.

Other drivers must move over for you

Florida's Move Over law was expanded on January 1, 2024: drivers must move over a lane for disabled vehicles stopped on the side of the road with hazard lights on, just as they must for emergency and service vehicles, or slow down if they cannot move over safely. Turning on your hazard lights is what tells other drivers this applies to you. It does not make the shoulder safe, so still keep away from the traffic side of the car.

Changing the tire yourself: only when it is safe

If you are well off the road on firm, level ground and away from moving traffic, fitting the spare can be reasonable. Use the parking brake, put the car in park (or in gear for a manual), loosen the lug nuts a little before raising the car, and use only the jack points shown in the owner's manual. Never put any part of your body under a car held up by a jack.

If the shoulder is narrow, the ground is soft or sloped, it is dark, or traffic is passing close by, do not do it. A spare tire is not worth the risk.

Many temporary spares (the small "donut" type) have speed and distance limits printed on the tire or in the owner's manual. Treat them as a way to get to a tire shop, not as a repair.

After you are safe: repair or replace?

Whether the tire can be fixed depends on where the damage is and how far it was driven flat. Punctures in the tread area are often repairable; sidewall damage and tires driven flat for a distance usually are not. Our guide Flat tire: repair or replace? explains the general rules. If the tire has to be replaced, have your size ready; the tire size decoder shows you how to read it.

FlatFixVault repairs flats and sells new tires at 1919 NW 19th St, Suite 204, Fort Lauderdale (Monday to Friday 8 AM to 5 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 2 PM). We sell new tires only, and if your size is not on the rack we can usually source it from nearby warehouses the same day. Prices are quoted by phone at 954-760-7276.

A short checklist to keep in the glove box

1. Hazard lights on, slow down gently, get to the safest spot you can reach.
2. Get out on the side away from traffic, or stay buckled in if getting out is not safe.
3. Danger or injury: call 911. Stranded or disabled on a Florida highway: dial *FHP (*347).
4. Change the tire only well away from traffic on firm, level ground.
5. Get the tire inspected before trusting it again.

If you are stranded

If the car cannot be driven safely, do not drive it to the shop on the flat.