if you're driving it's something you never want to happen the dreaded flat tire that leaves you on the side of the road in the past if you had a flat you could always count on having a spare in the trunk but now that's not the case here's Pat forn and consumer alert Pat thanks Nathan and Michelle vehicles used to come with a full-size spare tire but now many cars don't have one because the tires are too heavy and they're trying to make them more efficient by having a smaller Tire sometimes called a doughnut spare but now depending on the car you have it may not have any spare tire at all a flat tire often seems to happen at the worst time L placencio was driving to a spa appointment when she felt a thud sure enough I had a flat tire if it happens the best advice is Safety First in the event that you do get a flat tire um you should pull off the road uh as far as you can in a safe area next you'll want one of these a space saver spare tire also known as a donut it's replaced the full-size spare in most passenger cars with any luck you might go years without needing to use one but you shouldn't forget about it be tire expires just like your other four tires to check the age of your spare look at the last two digits of the DOT number on the sidewall that indicates the year the tire was manufactured if it's older than 10 years replace it and a spare tire only works if it's properly inflated check your spar's pressure and condition when you check the pressure of your other tires and fill if needed when Placencia got a flat she also got a surprise unfortunately my car doesn't come with a spare tire now about 60% of new cars don't have a spare tire and an effort from the manufacturers to lower um production cost and reduce weight for fuel economy um they're just leaving the spare tire out so don't ever assume you just have a spare tire instead you may get an air compressor or a can of tire sealant that is supposed to patch a damaged tire and get you to a shop where it can be repaired or replaced some cars mostly luxury models come with run flat tires that allow you to continue driving for about 80 km at modest speeds enough to get you home or to a service center for Replacements you shouldn't be driving around on these tires um or a patch Tire because that's not a permanent fix the other option is to call for a tow truck and have a new tire installed at an auto shop and if you're not sure if your car has a spare it might be a good time to check and whether you have a spare tire or an flater kit you should also know how to use it so you'll be prepared if you get a flat tire on your side I'm Pat forign