Dont panic.
A tire blow out comes as a real shock but handling it calmly is the only way to avoid making a serious situation worse.
A rear tire blowout is pretty simple as you will still have pretty good control of the steering. Simply slow down and get yourself out of traffic onto the emergency lane and stop. Don't even consider trying to drive to a gas station or rest area. Your only concern is to stop immediately. Trying to continue driving even with a rear blowout could cause massive damage to the rim and if the steel banding on the tire has begun to shred this can wrap itself around the axle. I spent a long happy hour slicing my hands to pieces attempting to remove steel banding from a blowout.
A front blowout is significantly more serious and requires a firm grip and a cool head.
focus only on keeping the car in a straight line and reducing speed. A front tire blowout will attempt to wrestle the steering from your hand and slew you toward the side that has blown. Keep pressure on the steering wheel to keep the car straight and bring it to a halt. Getting out of traffic is a bonus but stopping safely and straight is the main priority.
Again, the banding could possibly have shredded so it is advisable to carry a pair of gloves in the trunk for working on a breakdown and definitely for a tire change where shredding is possible.

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