When your luck runs out and you find yourself on the side of the road with a flat tire, will you be prepared?

You can be. All it takes is a little know-how.

Obviously, it helps to have a spare tire and a jack. However, if you would rather fix that flat than ride around on an inferior spare tire, then you’ll need a plug kit.

The cheap-yet-indispensable repair kit can be purchased at any auto parts store. Plug kits come with a bunch of plugs, a reamer (tool used to size & roughen the hole), and a tool for inserting the plugs. All you have to do is use the reamer to create the plug hole, thread the plug into insertion tool, and then insert the plug into the tire. (No need to take notes, there will be directions on the kit).

Now that your tire is plugged and ready to roll, you may be wondering “O.k., now how long will this last before I crash and burn?” Well, legally we should tell you to take that tire to a tire shop right away for a professional patch job. However, we can also tell you about a recent blog post from those great guys at Car Talk.

Click and Clack gave this reasonable advice to a flat tire victim: “Actually, plugs have been used since the days of the Roman chariots. OK, not that long, but they’re well-established and effective. As long as the hole in the tire is not too big (and screw or nail holes are not too big), you can insert a plug and expect it to last for the remaining life of the tire.”

So there you go. If the tire is in good shape and the hole isn’t too big, then a good old-fashioned plug has been known to last a tire’s lifetime.

That being said, there are times when a professional plug/patch job may be required. For example, if the tire ran on low pressure for a while, then it may have more damage than you think. Also, there may be legal implications if you are driving a commercial or company vehicle. So, if you need a tire that is 100% worry-free, then get it fixed by a pro. Or better yet, just buy a new tire.