Flat Tire On Highway In Michigan: Here’s What To Do

What to Do If You Get a Flat Tire On A Michigan Highway

If you experience a flat tire on a busy Michigan highway (such as I-94, I-75, or I-275), follow these immediate driving steps to get off the road safely. The Michigan State Police (MSP) strongly advise pulling completely off the freeway and staying buckled inside your vehicle rather than attempting to change a tire on the shoulder:

1. Grip the wheel firmly: Keep both hands on the steering wheel at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions to maintain directional control.
2. Ease off the gas: Take your foot off the accelerator slowly. Do not slam on the brakes, as sudden braking can cause you to lose control.
3. Signal and steer right: Turn on your hazard lights, carefully check your mirrors, and steer smoothly toward the right shoulder, breakdown lane, or nearest exit.
4. Move off active lanes: Never stop in active traffic lanes. Drive slowly on the rim to reach a safe, off-freeway location if necessary.

If you experience a flat tire on a Michigan highway, follow these immediate safety recommendations and actions to avoid:

• Vehicle Control
  • Recommended Safety Step: Hold the steering wheel firmly with both hands to stabilize the car.
  • What to Avoid: Do not make sudden or jerky steering adjustments.
• Speed Adjustment
  • Recommended Safety Step: Decelerate gradually by easing off the accelerator pedal.
  • What to Avoid: Do not slam on the brakes or make abrupt stops.
• Pulling Over
  • Recommended Safety Step: Move completely onto a wide shoulder, median, or exit ramp.
  • What to Avoid: Do not remain stopped in active travel lanes or narrow shoulders.
• Visibility
  • Recommended Safety Step: Activate hazard lights (flashers) immediately to alert oncoming drivers.
  • What to Avoid: Do not turn off your lights or leave the vehicle unlit at night.

What to Do After Pulling Over Safely

Once you have safely moved your vehicle off the road after getting a flat tire on a Michigan highway, follow these essential post-blowout safety steps:

• Turn on Hazard Lights: Activate your emergency flashers immediately so oncoming traffic and roadside assistance can spot your disabled vehicle.
• Deploy Warning Signals: Place reflectorized warning triangles behind your car to alert traffic, and raise your hood or hang a white cloth from your window to signal for help.
• Stay Inside The Vehicle: If you are pulled over on a busy interstate or freeway shoulder, do not get out of your car to check or change the tire. Recent roadside crashes highlight the extreme danger of being struck by passing traffic or heavy trucks.
• Call for Professional Assistance: Contact roadside assistance (such as AAA or your insurance provider). Dial 911 immediately if your vehicle is blocking an active lane of traffic or is in an unsafe location on the highway.

How To Safely Change A Tire (Step-by-Step)

Safety Warning: Changing a flat tire directly on a narrow Michigan highway shoulder is extremely dangerous. Attempt a DIY tire replacement only if your vehicle is completely clear of moving traffic on a stable surface.

If you are in a safe location away from active traffic, follow these steps:

1. Secure the Vehicle & Gather Tools: Set your emergency brake, turn on hazard lights, and retrieve the spare tire, jack, and lug wrench from your trunk.
2. Loosen the Lug Nuts: Turn the lug nuts counterclockwise with the wrench to break them loose before raising the car. Do not remove them completely yet.
3. Position the Jack & Lift: Place the jack under the vehicle’s designated frame point nearest the flat tire. Crank the jack until the flat tire clears the ground by approximately 6 inches.
4. Remove the Flat Tire: Unscrew the loosened lug nuts fully, pull the flat tire straight off the wheel hub, and lay it flat on the ground.
5. Mount the Spare Tire: Align the spare tire with the wheel bolts, push it flush onto the hub, and hand-tighten the lug nuts.
6. Lower the Vehicle & Final Tightening: Lower the car until the tire rests on the ground, then remove the jack. Fully tighten the lug nuts in a star (crisscross) pattern using the lug wrench to ensure equal torque.

Michigan Traffic Laws for Disabled Vehicles

• Impeding Traffic Prohibition (MCL 257.676b(1)): Michigan law prohibits drivers from blocking, obstructing, or interfering with the normal flow of traffic upon any highway.
• “If You Can Steer It, Clear It” Law (MCL 257.618a(1)): Drivers involved in an incident with an operable vehicle must safely move the car off the main traveled portion of the roadway onto a shoulder, median, or emergency lane.

What To Do When Passing Another Driver With A Flat Tire On The Highway

If you are driving past another vehicle that has experienced a flat tire on a Michigan highway, follow these safety guidelines to prevent secondary collisions:

• Reduce Speed: Slow down and maintain a safe, prudent distance when approaching a disabled vehicle on the shoulder.
• Maintain Assured Clear Distance: Drivers are legally presumed liable if they rear-end a vehicle ahead, even if that vehicle stops suddenly.
• Call Emergency Services: Report the disabled vehicle to local authorities or highway patrol to dispatch assistance.

Injured In A Car Accident After A Flat Tire On The Highway In Michigan? Call Our Attorneys Now For A Free Consultation

If you were injured in a car accident after getting a flat tire on the highway in Michigan, call now (800) 968-1001 for a free consultation with one of our experienced car accident lawyers. There is no cost or obligation. You can also visit our contact page or use the chat feature on our website.

Michigan Auto Law is Michigan’s largest and most successful law firm that specializes exclusively in helping people who have been injured in auto accidents.

Our secret? Our attorneys deliberately handle fewer cases than other personal injury law firms.  This allows us to focus more time and attention on our cases.

Unlike other law firms, our attorneys are never too busy to promptly return phone calls and answer questions. 

We have more than 3,500 5-Star Reviews that reflect this care and attention to detail.

More importantly, this client-focused approach leads to better and faster settlements for our clients. Michigan Auto Law has recovered more million-dollar settlements and trial verdicts for motor vehicle accidents than any other lawyer or law firm in Michigan. We’ve also recovered the highest ever reported truck accident and car accident settlement in the state.

Call now so we can start making a real difference for you.

(Source: The National Safety Council)

Published: Sep 17, 2026

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Updated: Sep 18, 2026

Written By

Steve M. Gursten,
Attorney,
License#: P53632

Steven Gursten, attorney at Michigan Auto Law and one of the most successful auto accident attorneys in Michigan. Michigan Auto Law represents people seriously injured in car, truck, motorcycle, and bus accidents, including catastrophic injury, traumatic brain injury, and No-Fault insurance cases. Steven has recovered the largest reported auto and truck accident settlement of any Michigan lawyer, and has been named Michigan Lawyer of the Year and a Top 50 Michigan Super Lawyer.

Read Steven Gursten’s full attorney profile

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Legally Reviewed by Todd Berg, Attorney

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