They are cute and most certainly come in handy if you have a flat, but there are things you need to know about driving on miniature spares. Some pretty major precautions do come along with the use of donut tires.

If you have a donut tire in your car for emergency use, you will be covered if you get a flat on the road ahead. These tires have become popular for use as spares because they do not take up a lot of room and they generally do not cost an arm and a leg. Still, they should only be considered a temporary fix.

When these tires are put in use remember to:

Drive slowly – Donut tires are not meant to be driven on at maximum speeds. Make sure to drive slowly and carefully until the donut can be replaced with a full-sized tire.

Replace quickly – The general rule of thumb is that donuts are only good for about 50 miles. It is important to replace these as quickly as possible.

Count on mileage going down – When a donut is on a car, it will not provide full performance. Count on gas mileage going down and handling to be off a bit.

Donut tires are excellent pinch hitters, but they are not safe for extended use. When one of these is put into use, make sure to replace it as quickly as possible.