I drive a Fiat Punto which came with a bright yellow space saver spare wheel in the boot. One morning, a few months ago, at 6am, i found myself fitting the space saver because i had destroyed a tyre by driving on it flat (didn't realise it was flat until it was too late, of course ) Fortunately, where i was working at the time, there was a tyre shop over the road so i went over, paid £25 for a new tyre fitted.
If the tyre shop hadn't been there, i would have driven home on the space saver, but no further, since they warn not to drive over 50mph and change them ASAP - emergency use only (ie driving to tyre shops).
Last week, I saw a fellow Punto owner fitting his space saver wheel at the side of the A6195 just outside Barnsley. Now this road is a dual carriageway between the M1 and Wath Upon Dearne (9 miles), limited at 70mph, and you have to drive at least 10 miles to get anywhere useful if you use this road.
I thought this was fair enough - Punto drivers are intelligent so he would get a new tyre as soon as he could. Anyway, twice again that week, i saw him, still on his space saver, still driving on the 70mph road.
Is this madness??? Or am i overreacting - can one really drive long distances at high speeds in a car on a motorcycle wheel? And what happened to traditional spare wheels that were actually full-size and one could actually drive decent distances at full speed on them?
If the tyre shop hadn't been there, i would have driven home on the space saver, but no further, since they warn not to drive over 50mph and change them ASAP - emergency use only (ie driving to tyre shops).
Last week, I saw a fellow Punto owner fitting his space saver wheel at the side of the A6195 just outside Barnsley. Now this road is a dual carriageway between the M1 and Wath Upon Dearne (9 miles), limited at 70mph, and you have to drive at least 10 miles to get anywhere useful if you use this road.
I thought this was fair enough - Punto drivers are intelligent so he would get a new tyre as soon as he could. Anyway, twice again that week, i saw him, still on his space saver, still driving on the 70mph road.
Is this madness??? Or am i overreacting - can one really drive long distances at high speeds in a car on a motorcycle wheel? And what happened to traditional spare wheels that were actually full-size and one could actually drive decent distances at full speed on them?