Another topic suggestion that I received and a common concern that I don't think people investigate often concerns spare tires and if having a donut spare is a bad thing.  Many newer vehicles these days have a full size spare tire, space permitting of course.  A full size tire is by far a better option than your typical donut spare that is much smaller and less durable.  A full size spare can also completely replace the bad tire which allows you more time before buying a new tire or repairing the bad one.  Plus, having a full size spare doesn't give the appearance of "Hey, my tire blew out and now i'm driving 80mph on this little piece of rubber on a rim 3 inches smaller than my other tires."

 

Don't get me wrong, a donut spare does its job and is a wonderful thing to have in case of an emergency.  However, it is a quick fix and you should never drive on it any longer than you have to, meaning, put it on the car and drive directly to a repair center to fix the problem.

 

Lastly, it is always a good practice to ask the people who you have change your oil, to check the air pressure in your spare tire each oil change.  Even though spare tires sit in your trunk, under your vehicle or perched on the tailgate, they still can loose pressure over time.  Last thing you would want is to have a flat spare tire to replace your flat normal tire.