Tyre safety for e-hailing drivers in Malaysia and Singapore

If you drive for Grab or another e-hailing app, your tyres work harder than most. Check pressures when cold, look for damage and check the tread and date code. Know what to do in a burst. Then plan tyre work so it costs you as little time off the road as possible.

Your car is how you earn. A tyre problem can mean a passenger at risk and a day without fares. This guide covers the checks, the burst method and the options.

Why your tyres need more attention

You cover more distance than a private driver. Tread wears with distance, so it reaches its limit sooner. You also spend long hours on hot roads, often with passengers and luggage on board.

Those are the conditions that raise the risk of a burst. Our guide to why tyres burst covers each cause in full. Here is what matters most for a working car.

Pressure

NHTSA, the US road safety regulator, names under-inflation, along with overloading, as a major cause of tyre failure. Low pressure makes the sidewalls flex more. That builds heat and weakens the tyre.

You cannot judge pressure by eye. NHTSA says under-inflation usually cannot be seen, so use a gauge.

What to do: Check pressures when the tyres are cold. NHTSA defines cold as not driven for at least three hours. The start of your shift is a good time. Use the figure on the label in the driver's door frame or in the owner's manual, not the maximum moulded on the sidewall.

Heat and load

NHTSA says excessive speed, under-inflation and excessive loading can each cause heat build-up and possible failure. A long, fast highway run on a hot day adds to the load on a tyre that is already low.

Airport runs with a full car and full boot are the obvious case. Every tyre has a maximum load, shown by its load index.

What to do: Check your car's load limit in the owner's manual. If the door label lists a higher pressure for a heavy load, use it. When you replace tyres, do not fit a lower load index than the car needs. Michelin says you must not fit a lower speed rating than the vehicle maker recommends either.

Damage

Potholes, kerbs and debris can damage a tyre without an obvious leak. TyreSafe says an impact can cause internal damage, and a drop in pressure can be a sign of it.

A bulge in the sidewall is a serious warning. Pirelli says a bulge can burst and cause you to lose control, and it cannot be safely repaired.

What to do: After a hard hit, stop when it is safe. Look for cuts, bulges and tears, and check the pressure. Do not drive on a tyre with a bulge. If you are unsure, have a tyre professional look at it before your next trip.

Tread and age

The wear bars in the main grooves are 1.6 mm high. When the tread is worn to their level, the tyre needs replacing.

Age matters too, even on a busy car. Michelin's Malaysian site gives five years as a general replacement recommendation and ten years as the maximum. Find the four-digit date code on the sidewall. The first two digits are the week and the last two are the year. Our guide on how to read your tyre size shows where to look.

A quick routine for working drivers

1. Check all tyre pressures when cold, including the spare.
2. Walk around the car and look for cuts, bulges and embedded objects.
3. Check the tread against the wear bars.
4. Check the date codes and note anything ageing.
5. Take any tyre pressure warning light seriously, even mid-trip.

Our general advice is to do this at least once a month. You drive more than most, so do it more often.

If a tyre bursts with a passenger on board

The method is the same as for any driver. Our guide on what to do when a tyre bursts covers it step by step.

1. Grip the wheel with both hands. Expect a strong pull and hold against it.
2. Do not brake hard. Michelin warns that hard braking, with the pull towards the failed tyre, can cause a spin or a roll.
3. Ease off the accelerator slowly. Bridgestone advises braking gently only once the car has slowed.
4. Steer gently to the shoulder and switch on your hazard lights.

Once you have stopped, passing traffic is the next danger. Check the traffic before anyone opens a door. If it is safe, get everyone out on the side away from traffic and behind the barrier. Do not repair the car on the expressway. Singapore's LTA tells drivers not to attempt repairs there.

If anyone is hurt, call 999 in Malaysia, or 995 for an ambulance and 999 for the police in Singapore. In Singapore, LTA's hotline is 1800-2255-582. In Malaysia, call the expressway operator's emergency line, your insurer's roadside assistance or your recovery provider. Save these numbers before you need them.

Keeping control, and keeping time off the road short

Checks lower the risk of a burst, but they cannot remove it. Debris or a pothole can damage a well-kept tyre.

The Tyron Multiband is a band fitted in the wheel well, under your normal tyre. If a tyre bursts, it keeps the flat tyre seated on the rim. You keep your steering and brakes while you pull over. It gets you a medium distance at reduced speed, to a safe stop.

Time off the road. Fitting takes under an hour per vehicle, and you drive away the same visit.

Tyre changes. The band is refitted at each tyre change, by any tyre fitter.

Warranty. The band carries a 10-year warranty, registered to your chassis number.

It does not stop punctures or bursts, and it does not replace any of the checks above. A tyre that has been driven flat should be treated as damaged and replaced or inspected. You still need your spare or a recovery plan.

If you want that protection on your working car, you can get a quote and tell us you drive for e-hailing.