Key takeaways
- A full-size spare that matches the other tyres can be driven on normally once you have checked its pressure.
- On a space saver, a car must not go above 50mph: that is the law, under regulation 27(3) of the Construction and Use Regulations. No law sets a distance. About 50 miles is the usual advice, and your handbook may allow less.
- There is no legal requirement to carry a spare, and the MOT does not inspect one. A space saver still on the car at the MOT is a different matter: two different sizes on one axle is a Major defect.
- No spare? A sealant kit only works for a small hole in the main tread, in a safe spot. Run-flats marked RF are built to go at least 50 miles at up to 50mph (TyreSafe). For other marks such as ROF, ZP or EMT, use the handbook figure. Otherwise do not drive on the flat: have a fitter bring a tyre to the car.
How far can you drive on a spare tyre? On a full-size matching spare, as far as you like once its pressure is checked. On a space saver, keep to 50mph and to the distance in your handbook, and get a proper tyre back on the same day.
Plenty of newer cars have no spare at all, only a sealant kit or run-flat tyres. If that is you, a sealant kit can get you moving after a small hole in the tread, run-flats will carry you a limited distance, and anything else means leaving the car where it is and having the tyre brought to it. The sections below take each situation in turn.
How far can you drive on a spare tyre?
It depends on what is on the car. Speed and distance are two separate questions: the speed limit on a space saver is law, while the distance is guidance from the tyre industry and your car maker.
| What is on the car | Top speed | How far |
|---|---|---|
| Full-size spare, same tyre as the others | Normal limits | As any tyre, once its pressure and condition are checked |
| Full-size spare, different or older tyre | Check the handbook | Get a matching tyre on that axle soon |
| Space saver (temporary use spare) | 50mph in a car, by law | No legal limit. About 50 miles advised, or less if the handbook says so |
| Tyre sealed with a repair kit | What the kit or handbook says, often 50mph | Short and slow, straight to a fitter |
| Run-flat (RF, ROF, ZP or EMT) with the warning on | RF: 50mph. Other marks: the handbook figure | RF: at least 50 miles. Other marks: the handbook figure |
The 50mph figure for space savers comes from regulation 27(3) of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, which allows a passenger car on a temporary use spare "unless the vehicle is driven at a speed exceeding 50 mph".
The 50 miles is not in the law. TyreSafe says "There is no legal restriction on how far you can drive using a space saver spare wheel". It then recommends no more than 50 miles, and replacing the tyre sooner if you can.
Your handbook is the figure that counts, and it can be stricter than the rule of thumb. Mazda's CX-5 handbook, for example, gives no mileage at all. It says the temporary spare is for emergency use "only for VERY short periods", and must not go on the front wheels of that car.
Can I drive 35 miles, 200 miles or 4 hours on a spare?
On a full-size matching spare, yes. On a space saver, 35 miles at a steady pace to reach a fitter is within what most guidance allows. Two hundred miles or a four-hour run is not what the tyre is built for.
Advice on the outer limit varies. The AA says there is "no maximum distance" but that the distance covered "shouldn't be excessive". Protyre says around 50 miles normally, and up to 300 miles only if necessary, on a good road surface at a slow speed.
A space saver has a shallow tread and a soft compound that wears quickly, so a long trip on one is a long trip with less grip. If you are a long way from home, the better plan is to have the proper tyre fitted where you are.
Which spare have you got?
Lift the boot floor and check, ideally before you need it. You will find one of these:
- A full-size spare: a wheel and tyre the same size as the ones on the car. Some are on a steel wheel rather than an alloy, which is fine as long as the tyre size matches.
- A space saver: a narrow temporary spare, often on a brightly painted steel wheel, with its speed limit printed on the wheel or a label. The law calls it a "temporary use spare tyre": one designed only for use after a tyre fails, and at a lower speed than the normal tyres. If you searched for "temporary tyre", this is it.
- A tyre repair kit: a bottle of sealant and a small electric compressor, usually in a foam tray where the spare would be.
- Nothing, on run-flat tyres: cars on run-flats are normally sold without a spare. Look on the sidewall for "RF" in the size writing, or a maker's mark such as ROF, ZP or EMT (Michelin names all three among run-flat codes, as does Kwik Fit), and see our guide to how run-flat tyres work.
Our full-size spare, space saver and sealant kit comparison covers the trade-offs if you are choosing which to carry.
Driving on a space saver: the rules that matter
- Go slower in the wet. TyreSafe gives the space saver limit for dry roads, and says to drive more slowly still in wet or icy conditions.
- Check the pressure before you set off. Space savers usually run at a higher pressure than normal tyres, and TyreSafe advises checking a spare's pressure regularly. Use the figure on the wheel or in your handbook.
- Check which corner it can go on. Some cars must not have it on a driven axle. TyreSafe's advice for a front-wheel drive car with a front flat is to put the space saver on the back and move a rear tyre to the front. On a four-wheel drive, read our note on space savers on a 4x4 or AWD car first.
- Only one at a time. Handbooks such as Mazda's say to use only one temporary spare on the car at the same time.
- Expect the car to feel different. A space saver has a shallower tread and a softer compound, so grip is lower and it wears quickly. Goodyear notes it can affect ABS, traction control and even the speedometer. Leave longer gaps, brake earlier and take bends gently.
- Expect a warning light. The tyre pressure warning may stay on if the space saver has no sensor in it.
Fitting the space saver safely
Only change the wheel if you are well away from traffic. Never do it on a motorway or hard shoulder. TyreSafe's steps, in short:
- Find a safe, flat spot. Hazard lights on, everyone out of the car and away from the road. If there is no safe space, move away from the car and call for help.
- Secure the car. Handbrake on, and chock the wheel diagonally opposite the flat with a stone or brick. Check you have the locking wheel nut key.
- Loosen the nuts before jacking. Then place the jack under the jacking point your handbook shows for that corner and raise the car.
- Swap the wheels. Make sure the space saver sits central and flush, and tighten the nuts while it is still in the air.
- Lower and tighten again. Once the tyre touches the ground, tighten each nut again, then lower the car fully and check the space saver's pressure before you drive.
What happens if you go over 50mph on a space saver?
In a car, you are breaking the condition that makes driving on a space saver legal in the first place. Regulation 27(3) only exempts a car on a temporary spare if it stays at or below 50mph. The practical risk is the tyre itself. It is built for lower speeds, and Mazda's handbook gives the 80km/h (50mph) limit "to avoid damage to the temporary spare tyre or to the vehicle". If you have gone over it, slow down, check the tyre at the next safe stop, and get the proper tyre fitted.
The 50mph wording in the law is written for passenger cars. If you drive a van, follow the van's handbook and the label on the wheel.
Can you drive on the motorway with a spare tyre?
With a full-size matching spare, yes, as normal. With a space saver it is legal as long as you stay at 50mph or below, but TyreSafe advises avoiding dual carriageways and motorways on one "where at all possible". You will be well below the flow of traffic on a tyre with less grip. If you can reach a junction and take a slower route, or have the proper tyre fitted before the motorway leg of the trip, do that.
If a tyre goes down on the motorway itself, do not change it there. Highway Code rule 277 says to get out on the side away from traffic and wait behind the barrier, and National Highways says not to attempt repairs. Call National Highways on 0300 123 5000, or 999 if you are in danger. We never work on a live carriageway, hard shoulder or slip road. Once the car is recovered off the motorway, we can fit the tyre there. Our guide to a flat on a smart motorway covers emergency areas.
Can I drive on a spare tyre for a few days?
On a full-size matching spare, yes. On a space saver, no law sets a number of days, but TyreSafe and Mazda both say to replace it quickly. TyreSafe says space savers are designed "ONLY to get you to a safe place in order to get a regular tyre fitted". Mazda says they should "NEVER be used for long drives or extended periods". Whether it is two days, three or a week, that is the whole time on reduced grip, with a 50mph ceiling that is easy to forget on a dual carriageway.
The usual reason people leave one on is waiting for a garage slot. A mobile fitter removes that wait: we fit the proper tyre the same day, where the car is parked, so a space saver rarely needs to stay on longer than an afternoon.
An illustrative example, not a real customer: you are on a space saver 40 miles from home on a Friday evening, and your garage cannot see you until Monday. You have three options. You can drive home slowly on dry roads, keeping off the motorway where you can, if your handbook allows that distance. You can have a mobile fitter put the proper tyre on where you are, before you set off. Or you can leave the space saver on all weekend, which is the option TyreSafe and Mazda advise against.
Is it illegal not to have a spare tyre? The law and the MOT
No. There is no legal requirement to carry a spare in the UK, and many new cars are sold without one. Goodyear UK puts it plainly: "Car manufacturers are under no legal obligation to provide you with anything to deal with a puncture." The law cares about the tyres on the car: under regulation 27 they must be suitable, properly inflated and free of serious damage.
Do you need a spare tyre to pass the MOT?
No. The MOT inspection manual tells testers: "You only need to inspect the tyres fitted to the road wheels at the time of the inspection. If you notice a defect on a spare tyre, you should advise the vehicle presenter." So a missing or worn spare is at most an advisory.
The catch is a space saver still fitted at test time. The same manual lists "Tyres on the same axle or on twin wheels are different sizes" as a Major defect, and a space saver is narrower than the tyre opposite it. TyreSafe says the same: a car will not pass with a space saver fitted as a road wheel. Get the proper tyre back on before the test.
Flat tyre, no spare: what to do
With a flat and no spare, stop somewhere safe and look at the damage. Use the sealant kit only if the hole is small and in the tread. Otherwise, have a fitter come to the car rather than driving on the flat.
- Get to safety. The Highway Code says to stop as soon as it is safe and only deal with the tyre if you can do so without putting yourself or others at risk. Firm, level ground clear of traffic, hazards on, handbrake on, everyone out on the side away from the road.
- Look at the damage. A nail or screw in the middle of the tread is a small puncture. A cut or bulge in the sidewall, a large tear, a damaged rim or a tyre off the rim is not something a kit can fix.
- Decide whether the kit is an option. Only for a small hole in the main tread, and only where you have a safe place to work (see the next section).
- If it is not, leave the car where it is. Driving on a flat to find help usually destroys the tyre and can damage the wheel, as our guide on driving on a flat tyre explains.
- Call a mobile fitter or your breakdown provider with the details listed under what to tell us on the phone.
If the flat is at home, at work or in a car park, the same applies without the danger: do not drive it to a garage, and have the tyre brought to where the car is.
Why do new cars have no spare?
TyreSafe says many modern cars are no longer supplied with a space saver "to drive down additional weight in the car, manufacturing costs and improve efficiency". In its place you get a sealant kit, run-flat tyres, or sometimes nothing.
Using the tyre repair kit, and when not to
A repair kit pumps liquid sealant into the tyre through the valve, then re-inflates it with the compressor. It can plug a small hole in the tread well enough for a slow, short drive to a fitter. TyreSafe says not to use one if:
- the wheel rim is damaged;
- the tyre has been deflated for a period of time (driven on while flat, for example);
- the puncture is larger than 4mm across;
- the puncture is outside the main tread area, such as in the sidewall.
TyreSafe also says that if the puncture happens on a main road, or you do not have quick access to a safe place to stop, do not attempt the kit and call for help instead.
If the kit is an option:
- Check the sealant is in date. Michelin advises checking the expiry date, as sealant has a shelf life.
- Leave any nail or screw in place unless the kit instructions say otherwise.
- Connect the sealant and compressor to the valve as the kit directs and inflate to the stated pressure. If it will not reach that pressure in the time the kit allows, the tyre is too badly damaged.
- Drive a few minutes slowly to spread the sealant, then stop somewhere safe and recheck the pressure. If the tyre is still going down or the pressure warning is still on, TyreSafe says to stop the journey.
- Keep to the speed on the kit's sticker and go straight to a fitter. Mazda's CX-5 handbook, for example, says to keep below 50mph and drive carefully to a repairer, checking the pressure again after 10 minutes or 3 miles.
What a fitter checks when you are on a spare or sealant
Whether you arrive on a space saver, a sealed tyre or a run-flat that has been driven on, the decision between repair and replacement is made with the tyre off the wheel. A fitter checks:
- Where the damage is. TyreSafe says repairs can only be made in the central three quarters of the tread. A hole near the shoulder or in the sidewall means a new tyre.
- The inside of the tyre. A tyre that was driven flat, even for a short distance, often has a damaged inner liner, which rules out a repair however small the hole.
- Sealant residue. It has to be cleaned out of the tyre and off the wheel before any repair, and the valve and any pressure sensor are checked and cleaned.
- The wheel. The rim is checked for bends or cracks, so the new or repaired tyre seals properly.
- The space saver itself. Once the proper tyre is back on, the space saver goes back in the boot, and it is worth checking its pressure then so it is ready next time.
If the tyre passes, it is repaired to BS AU 159 on the spot, as on our puncture repair page. If not, a new tyre goes on in the same visit.
Need someone to come to you?
If there is no spare and the kit will not fix it, or you are on a space saver and want the proper tyre back on today, the tyre can come to the car. We work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no out-of-hours surcharge. We typically arrive within 30 to 60 minutes across London and the surrounding counties. Fitting takes 20 to 30 minutes, and we balance the wheel on the van.
We fit on driveways, at work, in car parks and at safe roadside spots off fast roads. We do not supply space saver wheels. We fit a proper road tyre instead, so you no longer need one.
When you call, these details get the right tyre on the van first time:
- The tyre size from the sidewall of a tyre on the car (for example 205/55 R16 91V), not from the space saver, and whether it says RF or a maker's run-flat mark such as ROF, ZP or EMT.
- The car: make, model and registration.
- Exactly where you are: a postcode, street or landmark; on a major road, the junction or marker post number; or a what3words address, which pinpoints a 3 metre square.
- Whether you have the locking wheel nut key. If it is lost, say so.
- What you can see: a nail in the tread, a sidewall cut, a damaged wheel, or whether sealant has already gone in.
- Whether you already have a tyre. We fit tyres you have bought yourself.
Stranded with a flat and no spare? Our 24/7 emergency tyre call-out is the fastest route. Already on a space saver? Book same day tyre fitting at home or work, or see tyre replacement near you if you are searching for a spare tyre nearby.
Somewhere safe off a fast road? Leave the car where it is. Read us the size off the sidewall when you ring. We typically arrive within 30 to 60 minutes.
Sources
Checked on 2 October 2026. Legal and safety points come from these sources. The fitter's checks describe how the job is done.
- Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, regulation 27 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, regulation 3: interpretation (legislation.gov.uk)
- MOT inspection manual, section 5: axles, wheels, tyres and suspension (GOV.UK)
- The Highway Code, Annex 6 and rules 274 to 287 (GOV.UK)
- Driving on motorways (National Highways)
- Space saver, Emergency puncture repair kits, What are run flat tyres and Punctures and repairs (TyreSafe)
- CX-5 owner's manual: temporary spare tyre and using the emergency flat tyre repair kit (Mazda)
- Guide to spare wheels and space saver tyres (The AA)
- How far can you drive on your spare tyre? (Protyre)
- Understanding and driving on a spare tyre (Goodyear UK)
- How to use a car tyre sealant and What are Runflat tyres? (Michelin UK)
- What to do if you don't have a spare wheel (Kwik Fit), a second source for the ROF, ZP and EMT run-flat marks
Photo: Francesco Ungaro on Pexels
Frequently asked questions
No law sets a distance: TyreSafe advises no more than 50 miles on a space saver, and your handbook may allow less.
It is the legal name for a space saver: a temporary use spare tyre. Regulation 3 of the Construction and Use Regulations defines it as a tyre designed only for use after one of the normal tyres fails. It is also designed for a lower speed than those tyres.
Not usually. Goodyear says a car fitted with run-flats from the factory will not need a spare, and such cars are normally sold without one. TyreSafe says tyres marked RF can run without air for at least 50 miles at up to 50mph. For other run-flat marks, use the figure in the handbook.
Legally yes, at 50mph or below, but TyreSafe advises avoiding motorways on one where at all possible, and you should never change a wheel on the motorway itself.
No. The law and the MOT deal with the tyres on the road wheels, not the spare.
Check your handbook first. It says whether a temporary spare suits your car and where it may go: Mazda's, for example, rules out the front wheels on the CX-5. We do not supply space savers. We fit a proper road tyre where the car is, so you are not left relying on one.
Stop somewhere safe, use the sealant kit only for a small hole in the main tread, and otherwise leave the car where it is and have a fitter bring a tyre to it.