How Fast Can You Actually Drive On A Spare Tire?

Getting a flat tire is annoying and an unfortunately common occurrence for most drivers. Fortunately, a lot of cars come with spare tires to get you back on the road (hopefully in the direction of a tire shop). But anyone who has swapped out their car's wheel and tire for a spare, also known colloquially as a "donut," has likely noticed that it doesn't look anything like the factory-equipped wheels on your car and is not only smaller in diameter, much significantly thinner.

However, that should not be a cause for alarm, as it's perfectly safe to drive on that tire to get you off the side of the road. Given the size of the tire, it's safe to assume that it has fairly limited abilities compared to a full-size tire. After all, tires are an often overlooked yet vital performance part of any car. But how limiting are spare tires? How fast can you safely go without risking yet another lost tire?

According to tire manufacturer Yokohama, its spare tires are rated for traveling no faster than 50 miles per hour and its treads are rated for 3,000 miles. For comparison, a regular tire from another manufacturer for your average sedan or minivan like the Bridgestone Turanza Quiettrack has a warranty of 80,000 miles and a speed rating of up to 149 miles per hour (although good luck reaching that speed in a minivan).

The numbers show that while the donut will help you out in a pinch, it is by no means a full replacement for your tire, nor should you use it in excessive speeds. It is a strictly temporary tire. Yokohama also notes that spare tires are often not interchangeable from car to car. You should only use the spare that came with your car. 

Spare tires are incredibly convenient and helpful when needed, but it's probably not a good idea to slap it on your car and treat it like you solved the issue. Get to a tire shop as soon as you can.