While modern cars are equipped with spare tires and jacks, many owners do not have the proper tools and experience changing a flat tire for tire change, making it important to be prepared for a flat through both preparation and practice. Key equipment to have stored in vehicles for a tire change include an adequate spare tire with good inflation, a jack and tools strong enough to lift the vehicle weight, lug wrench, work gloves, road safety cones or flares, and standard automotive safety gear. Steps to change a flat involve identifying proper jack placement points, loosening lug nuts before jacking up, securely lifting the vehicle, removing lug nuts and flat tire, installing the spare and tightening lug nuts in a star pattern, lowering the jack, and properly stowing the flat for repair or replacement. For those uncomfortable or unable with changing a spare tire, emergency roadside service can dispatch mobile tire changing trucks with heavy duty jacks and air tools to safely change passenger car and truck tires.