In response to a surge in tyre spiking incidents across South Africa, SVI Engineering, a leading manufacturer of armoured products, has demonstrated the effectiveness of the “Flats Over” runflat tyre safety band system through real-world testing.
Recent months have seen a significant increase in spiking incidents, particularly on main routes around Gauteng and often at night. Criminals place spikes on roads to puncture tyres, forcing vehicles to stop or crash, and leaving drivers and passengers vulnerable to attacks and robbery.
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SVI Engineering conducted a test at the Gerotek testing facility in Pretoria to simulate this dangerous scenario. They used a set of heavy-duty runflat rings fitted to an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser 79 single-cab bakkie. During the test, both tyres on the driver’s side lost pressure after running over the spikes. However, the runflat rings allowed the vehicle to remain fully controllable, covering 23 km at around 50 km/h without damaging the wheels, even after one tyre disintegrated.
Nicol Louw, SVI Business Development Director, highlighted the importance of the test results. “What ultimately forced us to stop was simply the fact that we ran out of time. This proves that even the most aggressive spikes are no match for the Flats Over runflat solution, allowing motorists to keep driving,” he said. Louw also noted the product’s additional benefits, including protection against ballistic attacks and the ability to answer common customer queries about tyre safety on armoured vehicles.
The Flats Over runflat system, authorised for distribution by SVI in Southern Africa, is an internationally certified product. It comprises a robust rubber ring split into two halves, tightened around the rim inside the standard tyre. This forms a smaller, durable “spare wheel” inside each tyre, providing protection during sudden tyre-pressure loss from spikes or ballistic attacks, and minimising wheel damage from potholes.
The runflat rings are suitable for armoured and conventional passenger cars, trailers, and most other vehicles with 16- to 23-inch wheels. A set of four rings is priced from R43,786 (excluding VAT) and can be quickly installed by most tyre shops after training.
Since 2004, SVI has specialised in armoured vehicles and is a market leader in Africa. The company serves private, corporate, security, mining, and governmental sectors, holding a Level 2 B-BBEE certification and ISO 9001:2015 quality management certification by TÜV Rheinland.
