A safety or emergency insert device positioned on a wheel rim inside a tire chamber to support the tire in a deflated condition. The device has an annular support surface beneath the tread adjacent each shoulder of the tire and when used with a belted tire, the support is beneath the axially outer edges of the belt. The device also has a sidewall buffer portion on each side which prevents excessive axial shifting of the sidewall during turns and upon deflation of the tire and a portion for preventing axially inward movement of the tire bead on the rim. In a preferred embodiment, the device has two annular resilient rings mounted on the rim in opposed relationship to each other.