How to handle a tire blowout

When experiencing a tire blowout, the key is to keep your cool, and to maintain control at all times.

Step 1: Stay cool
Ignore your natural instinct to hit the brakes or jerk the steering wheel when you have a blowout.

Step 2: Accelerate slightly
Accelerate slightly to maintain control of the vehicle. Keep going straight.

Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands at 10 o’clock and two o’clock on the wheel to avoid losing control.

Step 3: Decelerate
Ease off the accelerator slowly.

Step 4: Coast
Maintain your course while the vehicle slows.

Step 5: Apply brakes
Apply the brakes gently when your car slows to 30 miles per hour.

Step 6: Turn on right turn signal
Turn on your right turn signal.

Never stop on the left side of the road, if possible. This is the most dangerous place to be.

Step 7: Pull over
Pull your vehicle off to the side of the road, and breathe a sigh of relief…you’ve just survived a blowout.

Fact: Michigan has the highest rate of seat belt usage in the U.S., at 97.2 percent.