What has one arm, one leg, and flies through glass? You, unless you take heed as to what I am about to share with you in terms of surviving a high speed blowout.

To start, you must recognize the problem. "Thumping sounds and steering wheel vibration are signs a tire has blown," says 24 Hour Daytona veteran Robert Prevost. The first thing you have to do is to brace yourself, taking a firm grip on the steering wheel so it won't be yanked out of your hands if the car swerves suddenly. It's important that you stay as calm and relaxed as possible despite the threat of doing 360 circles on the middle of the highway. If you do stiffen up your reaction time won't be nearly as good then if you stay relaxed and lucid.

If your front tire blows, the car may suddenly veer out of control as if you had thrown the steering wheel to one side; a blown out back tire will usually just make you fishtail more gracefully. Also, unless you have antilock brakes, resist the urge to slam on said brakes. "Hard breaking or overcorrecting the steering will accentuate this action," says Prevost. "You'll skid or flip the vehicle, particularly if it's an SUV with a high center of gravity."" To keep from flipping take your foot off the gas to decelerate naturally and slowly. DO NOT steer suddenly in and one direction; just slow down and try to get to the side of the road.

Finally, try and stay focused! "The most important thing is to keep your eyes on where you want to be, not where you're going," say Prevost. "If you look where the car is swerving, your natural reaction will be to steer that way. Don't try to hasten your decelration by changing gears, cautions Prevost as it has the same effect as hard braking. Keep your eyes on the place you are aiming for." When you get your car to less than 20 MPH, head for any safe spot, like the shoulder or a parking lot. It's important not to get out your car if you are close to high speed traffic as you are still in a very dangerous situation. Now that you are safe, feel free to worry about the important things like your rims or paint job.

Learn more about this author, Matthew Soo.
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