We've all thought about it at one time or another... late at night, alone, in the middle of nowhere (or somewhere) and your steering goes 'really funny' - a flat tyre!

In South Africa, this is a potentially dangerous situation. What do you do? Most people who know how to, would change that tyre - fast - and get moving again as soon as possible.

But can YOU change a car tyre? Do you even know if you have a spare and how to get to it? And is it inflated? And have you ever practised changing that tyre? If not, now's the time, with a little help from Cars4women.

Alternatives to changing your car tyre

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1. You could just hope that the first people to stop are good guys. Do 'good guys' still stop and assist helpless maidens in distress? You could ponder this question as you wait and hope that the first to arrive are not 'the bad guys'.

2. Lock yourself in your car and phone for help (ALWAYS travel with a fully-charged cellphone). Who to phone? Your insurance company's roadside assist programme? Your husband or boyfriend? How long would they take to arrive?

3. There are special tyres that, when you get a puncture, allow you to carry on driving at a reduced speed, to the nearest garage. They include GoodYear RunOnFlats [click here for more info], BMW's RunFlats and then the Flats-Over, which you can fit to your normal tyres.

4. Hope for the best - which is decidedly sub-optimal.

Tyre changing - the better solution

• Practise changing your car tyres in the safety of home.
• Practise until you can do it fast, in the dark. Say in under 10 minutes.
• Initially practise on a flat surface and then graduate to doing it on a slope.
• Always pack the bits and pieces away in exactly the right place.
  

When changing tyres you'll need a pair of gloves for good grip (and to protect your hands and nails) and a 'stand up by itself' torch (to help in the dark), which you should always keep in the boot of your car.

Car tyre maintenance

If you are anything like me you hate to waste time when filling up with petrol and seldom have your tyres checked. Well, slow down. Ideally, you should check your car's tyre pressure every time you fill up. But at least do so on the first fill-up of each month.

And remember to check the pressure in your spare tyre. There is NOTHING worse than discovering that your spare is flat when you are half way through changing your tyre.

One last thing: keep a regular eye on the tread ('grooves') of your tyres. Look at each tyre from the side, from the front/back and from the inside front/back. Also check for cuts in the tyres or bulges.

If the grooves (treads) are looking shallow, or if you have ANY doubts about your tread or your tyres, get a free professional check at a tyre shop.

You still need to practise

Maintain your car tyres properly and you are less likely to ever have to change your tyres on a lonely road, or anywhere else. But you still need to practise changing them tyres, just in case.

By the way, the Formula One racing teams can change all four tyres in six seconds. Practise makes perfect!