Flat tyre? No problem

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A flat tyre literally flattens many prospects and ruin more plans that one can imagine. And just the thought of having a puncture in the middle of nowhere or even worse, late at night can scare the demons out of even the most daring motorist. But simply carrying a spare wheel isn’t the only damage control that one can do in case of a flat tyre.
The perils of a puncture are most severe when one is headed for an important meeting, exam or on a roadtrip. Delhi-based Gursharan Singh desperately searched for an end for his puncture woes when he suffered embarrassment at a marriage party. He recalls, “We were already late for the function when our car had a flat tyre. And the arduous task of changing tyres gets worse when one is clad in a three-piece suit and expensive attire.”
And it is instances like this that force one to think of a remedy for something as irksome as a puncture. For Gursharan, the answer to his calls arrived in the form of a tyre sealant. He informs, “When I bought my new Maruti SX4, I immediately put tube sealants in all the four tyres. It’s been over 12 months, my car hasn’t suffered a puncture till date.”
When so much can be ruined by something as unpredictable as a punctured tyre it’s better to take precautions than be stranded on the highway in the summer sun, says Sunny Ahuja, a businessman, whose young school-going kids often suffered due to recurring punctures. Says Sunny, “Earlier on the way to school and back, my kids would often have trouble due to recurring tyre punctures. So, I made up my mind and when I bought my new Honda Accord four months back, I put an end to it by applying Slime tyre sealant to all tyres of the new car.”
Tyre sealants are effective ways of preventing and repairing puncture instantly. Ajit Lamba, MD of Scan Solutions importers of Slime, says, “When the tyre is pricked, shards of rubber, fibre and solvent are forced out alongwith the air and this forms a mechanical plug on the puncture.”
And not just the tube sealants, smart spare kits are mini pumps that are available in the market and on Web and can be used to inflate a punctured tyre in a matter of minutes and then one can resume their journey. And roadside assistance by providers like My TVS India and Rescue 24X7 is other alternative favoured by women in cities these days.
So before leaving for a trip this summer remember to carry a spare tyre or apply sealant to all the wheels, carry along a jack and ensure that all tyres are well-inflated and tyres with proper treads.