Changing a tire does not have to be a harrowing experience. With little bit of background information, you can change a tire safely and easily.

Flat tires are caused by either slow leaks or a sudden blow-out. Slow leaks are easy to detect while driving since you can feel the car pull to one side. A blow-out on the other hand is unexpected and comes with a loud bang. Your car will swerve and you will hear a thumping noise as what remains of the rubber spins around on the rim. With a blow-out, don’t panic, gain control of the car, and ease over to the side of the road as soon as it is safely possible and put on your hazard lights. If you are on a flat street, turn your wheels to the curb and set your parking /emergency brake. If you are on a hill, coast down to a flat level spot with your hazard lights on, and once stopped, set your parking brake.

If people are riding with you, everyone will need to carefully exit the car on the side away from traffic. Have everyone stand as far back from the flow of traffic as possible. Wedge a brick or piece of wood or anything heavy under the wheels at the opposite side of the car.

If driving a car, your jack, spare tire and lug wrench (for removing the nuts holding on the tire) should be in the trunk. Most times they are stored in a compartment under the trunk floor or in a compartment on the side of the trunk. If you are driving a truck or van, the jack and lug wrench will be in a compartment at the rear of the vehicle and the spare will be stored on the outside under the vehicle.

Using the instructions provided remove the jack, lug wrench and spare and place them near the tire to be changed. Place the jack under the car touching either the frame or the steel bar that supports the suspension, whichever is closer. Some vehicles have jack points - notches cut in the frame that will match a similar cut out in the top of the jack.

If you car has hubcaps, using the flat end of lug wrench pry off the hub cap. Otherwise loosen the lug nuts that hold the rim or wheel on the car, but don't remove them. Removing lug nuts can take some time and force. Don't be afraid to put your weight on to it, even standing on the lug wrench if you have to, will loosen the lug nuts.

Once the lug nuts are loose, slowly jack up the car to where it looks like there is enough room to remove the wheel. Remove the lug nuts and put them somewhere will they won't get lost - in either the hubcap or your pocket.

Put your hands on either side of the flat tire and pull in a side-to-side motion towards you until the flat tire comes off. Put the spare on, replace the lug nuts and tighten the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern as tight as you can. The spare may look different then the flat tire, it can be smaller and not as wide as the original flat tire. This is okay. The spare is designed for emergency purposes and should only be driven on until you can get a new tire.

Lower the car and using the lug wrench, tighten the nuts one more time. Put everything back in the trunk and you are done.