Flat tyre

Flat tyre – find the nearest roadside assistance quickly

A flat tyre can unexpectedly bring your journey to a halt at any time or place. A tyre may be punctured by a sharp object, damaged by a pothole or slowly lose pressure because of a faulty valve, for example. The situation can be particularly difficult on a motorway, on a remote stretch of road, in bad weather or when the car does not have a usable spare tyre.
HinausSuomi helps you quickly find the nearest towing company or roadside assistance after a flat tyre. The service lists all official towing companies in Finland, allowing you to search impartially from one place. Companies are shown on the map according to their location, and you can contact a suitable towing service directly.

HinausSuomi is free to use. No registration is required, and neither membership nor paid visibility can be purchased as a condition of appearing in the list. The purpose is simply to help a stranded motorist find the nearest possible assistance quickly.

A flat tyre is a common roadside assistance task

A flat tyre is one of the most common roadside assistance tasks. The car does not always need to be towed to a garage, as the problem may be resolved at the scene.
Roadside assistance may fit the car’s spare tyre, install the vehicle’s own temporary spare wheel or help move the vehicle to a safer location. If the tyre cannot be changed at the roadside or the vehicle has no spare, the car can be towed to the nearest tyre centre, garage or another location agreed with the driver.

The assistance required depends on the vehicle’s equipment and the nature of the tyre damage. Many new cars no longer have a full-size spare tyre. Instead, they may carry a repair kit, compressor or temporary spare wheel. A repair kit does not help in every situation. If the tyre is torn, the wheel is damaged or there is significant damage to the tyre sidewall, it is generally unsafe to continue driving.

Do not continue driving on a flat tyre

Do not continue driving on a flat or severely damaged tyre. Even a short distance can completely destroy the tyre, damage the wheel and increase the risk of losing control of the vehicle. In the worst case, this can cause a collision or a repair that costs considerably more than the original puncture.
If you notice the car pulling strongly to one side, hear an unusual noise or see the tyre-pressure warning light, reduce your speed gradually. Avoid sudden steering movements and heavy braking. Stop the car in the safest possible place away from traffic.
Switch on the hazard warning lights and ensure the car is visible to other road users. Wearing a high-visibility vest is strongly recommended in darkness or poor visibility. Place the warning triangle far enough behind the vehicle, provided this can be done safely.

Changing a tyre yourself on a busy road or motorway can be dangerous. If the car is close to a traffic lane or in a location where other vehicles pass at high speed, move to a safe place and request professional assistance.

Find the nearest towing service on the map

After a flat tyre, you generally do not want to spend time browsing different companies’ websites or comparing phone numbers. HinausSuomi brings Finland’s towing companies together on one map and list so that the nearest provider can be found as quickly as possible.
The service uses your location to display the nearest towing services. You can view nearby companies on the map and call your chosen towing company directly. The contact does not go through a separate call centre or complicated booking system; you can discuss the assistance required directly with the towing company.
When calling, provide your exact location, the car’s registration number, vehicle type and details of the tyre damage. Also state whether the car has a spare tyre and whether the vehicle is in a safe location. This information allows the towing company to assess what equipment and assistance are required.

HinausSuomi is an impartial search service

HinausSuomi’s purpose is to help motorists find the nearest towing service without compulsory registration, membership or a paid intermediary service. The service includes all official towing companies in Finland, so users do not need to know in advance which company operates in the area.
In practice, impartiality means that users can compare towing companies operating in the area on the map and decide which company to contact. HinausSuomi is not an insurance company, towing company or payer of roadside assistance. It is a search service that brings towing companies’ contact details together in an easy-to-find format.
Using the service is free, but roadside assistance, a tyre change or towing carried out by a towing company may be chargeable. Agree the price, possible insurance reimbursement and payment method directly with the towing company.

Does comprehensive motor insurance cover a flat tyre?

Roadside assistance or towing after a flat tyre is commonly covered for customers with comprehensive motor insurance. Cover may nevertheless depend on the insurer, the extent of the policy, the chosen insurance product and the policy terms.
Comprehensive motor insurance often includes vehicle assistance, towing or onward-travel cover. It may cover towing the vehicle to the nearest garage or tyre centre when the journey cannot safely continue. Some policies may also cover roadside assistance provided at the scene.
Damage to the tyre or wheel itself may not be covered in the same way as the cost of roadside assistance or towing. Excesses, maximum reimbursements and procedures for ordering the service may also differ. Some insurers may require the incident to be reported to a particular service number or the tow to be arranged according to the insurer’s instructions.

HinausSuomi cannot guarantee that an insurance claim will be paid. Always confirm cover with your insurer or check your vehicle’s policy terms. When calling the towing company, state which insurer covers the vehicle. The towing company can often advise you on how to proceed.

When does a car need to be towed after a flat tyre?

The car may need to be towed if the tyre cannot be changed safely at the scene. This may happen if there is no spare tyre, the wheel bolts cannot be loosened, the car cannot be lifted safely, or the wheel, suspension or another component has also been damaged.
Towing may also be necessary if more than one tyre is damaged or the car has different-sized tyres and no suitable spare wheel. For electric vehicles, four-wheel-drive cars and low vehicles, the transport method must also be selected according to the vehicle’s construction and the manufacturer’s instructions.
A professional towing company can assess by phone whether to send a roadside assistance vehicle or a recovery vehicle. The aim is to continue the journey as quickly as possible or move the vehicle safely to a location where the tyre can be repaired or replaced.

Help with flat tyres throughout Finland

A flat tyre can happen at any time and in any place. It may occur while commuting in a city, on a road to a holiday cottage, during a holiday in Lapland or in the middle of a busy motorway. HinausSuomi allows you to search for the nearest towing and roadside assistance anywhere in Finland without registration or a service fee.
Open the map, check the nearest towing companies and contact a suitable provider directly. The more precisely you describe your location and the tyre damage, the faster the towing company can assess the assistance required.
HinausSuomi is a quick and easy way to find help for a flat tyre when your journey is interrupted and you need roadside assistance or towing.

Roadside assistance for flat tyres in every Finnish locality

HinausSuomi helps you find assistance for a flat tyre anywhere in Finland. The service map includes all official towing companies in Finland, allowing you to find the towing or roadside assistance company closest to your location regardless of where in the country your journey is interrupted. The service works just as easily in major cities, smaller towns and on roads between cities.
When a flat tyre occurs in Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere or Vantaa, the nearest roadside assistance may be found quickly using the map. Major urban areas may have several towing companies, so HinausSuomi helps you view the available options in one place. You can choose a suitable company and call it directly without registering or using a paid intermediary service.

Flat tyres in Oulu, Turku, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Lahti and Pori may also require roadside assistance or towing. Where possible, the tyre can be changed at the scene, but in some situations the car must be transported to a tyre centre or garage. Towing may be necessary if there is no spare tyre, the tyre is torn, the wheel is damaged or changing the tyre at the roadside is unsafe.

Help always closest to you

You can also use HinausSuomi to find the nearest towing service in Joensuu, Kouvola, Lappeenranta, Vaasa and Hämeenlinna. The map lets you check which towing companies are closest to your vehicle’s location. This is particularly useful when you are in an unfamiliar area and do not already know the local towing and roadside assistance companies.
The service can also help after a flat tyre in Seinäjoki, Rovaniemi, Porvoo, Mikkeli and Salo. In the same way, you can find a towing company in any other Finnish locality. HinausSuomi is not limited to the largest cities; the map includes all official towing companies in Finland.

A flat tyre may occur in a city centre, outside a built-up area, on a motorway or along a long stretch of road. You should therefore use the vehicle’s exact location when searching for assistance rather than selecting a towing company solely by its home town. In some situations, the nearest towing company may be in a neighbouring municipality.
Open the HinausSuomi map, allow it to use your location and check the nearest towing services. You can contact your chosen company directly and state where the car is, which tyre is damaged and whether the vehicle has a usable spare tyre. The towing company will assess whether the puncture can be handled as roadside assistance at the scene or whether the car needs to be towed.