Most people who drive don't know how to properly or safely change a flat tire. These tips below will help you change a flat tire correctly. At first sign of a flat tire, either by one blowing out or slowly deflating, stay calm and slowly make your way into the right lane and pull over.

DO NOT PULL OVER IN THE LEFT LANE.

Many people each year get injured or even die when changing a flat tire in the left lane. The left lane has little to no room for servicing your flat and allows for direct contact between you and traffic. When you're pulled safely to the ride side of the road, find clear level ground to stop.

Turn your engine off, put your hazard blinkers on and put your car in park (if automatic) or reverse (if manual). Make sure all passengers are out of the car. Get your jack and spare out of your trunk first. Before jacking your car up, start to loosen the lug nuts but not all the way off. Once all lugs are loose, place the jack under the car. Refer to your car's manual for best placement, but usually the strongest part of the car is the frame where it connects the side rails below the doors.

Jack the car up just enough to get the wheel off. Fully remove the lugs, take the wheel off and put to the side. Put the spare on and hand tighten all the lugs firmly. Lower the car slowly and remove the jack. Now, with the lug wrench, tighten the lugs in a star pattern, top first, lower right second, far left third, far right fourth and bottom left last. Tighten well. Put flat in trunk well and put all tools back.

Get to a mechanic to fix your flat or replace your tire as soon as you can.