Just received an email on a study of fires started when refuelling cars . Here is the bad translation (I had it in Portuguese). I looked at the website quoted, they imply that there is an email going round distorting the facts, but it seems that the text below is pretty accurate.

It's dated March 02, sorry if this is of the same age as the Impreza in the frozen lake but I think it's worth the warning to everyone.

The email was as follows:

The "Petroleum Equipment Institute" is to work in a campaign to try to alert the people for fires resuling from the static electricity during the filling at service stations on the Highway. For this they had investigated 150 fire cases in the service stations.

The conclusions are surprising:
1. In the majority of the cases it involved people who entered in the interior of the car during the filling, and that when finished and they they returned to take out the nozzle the fire was initiated, due to static.
2. The majority of the people had shoes of rubber sole.
3. Most of the men does not enter in the car until the filling is finished, so these fires are rare.
4. NEVER use phones while filling up.
5. The freed vapors ignite, when associated with electrostatic loads.
6. 29 fires had occurred where the people re-entered the cabin and then touched the nozzle during the filling. Some had resulted in serious damages to the vehicle, petrol station and customer.
7. 17 fires had occurred before, during or immediately after the petrol cap had been removed and before initiating the filling.

NEVER enter the vehicle while it is filling up. If for any reason it is unavoidable to come back to the interior during the supplying, make sure that when leaving, close the door and TOUCH the METAL, before removing the nozzle. From this, the static electricity will go to earth.
As mentioned, the Institute of the Oil & Equipment in set with other Company are to try to alert the public for this danger. More information is in the site http://www.pei.org. In this site click in the center of the screen where it says "Stop Static".

Please tell your family and friends, especially to those who have children in the car during the filling up. If this happens to them, THEY CAN NOT HAVE TIME TO REMOVE THE CHILDREN. Thank you to disseminate this.

 

A major manufacturer had to recently make a recall because of this tendency on the car- New Mini/New Golf something like that

 

New Mini definitely had a recall, and also Rolls Royce Bentley.

 

I guess that this can only happen if you lock the fuel filler so that it carries on without you holding onto the nozzle? Less of a problem in the UK because the fuel pins aren't legal here.

 

Classic urban myth [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] No evidence either way, just a statement! I have seen petrol stations immediately next to cellphone base stations (and hospitals with them on their roofs) - and yet they tell us not to use them.

The latest joke is the Royal Society of Sad People who want to band the use of handheld AND handfree phones in cars, yet haven't even considered banning smoking in cars!!

mb

 

Major problem in mid air refueling for fighter jets this ya know..

 

Err no

AFAIK There have been 2 fires in Kent where people filling up cars with mobile phones in pockets have rung. These phones have both contained red flashing lights to alert the caller.

Result 2 Cars destroyed and quite a bit of damage to petrol stations, fairly serious burns on one persons legs.

Nathan..

Edited cos its too early and I cant spell proper

[Edited by Nathan L - 7/24/2002 3:13:59 AM]

 

The phones / petrol station thing is because of the small potential risk of a static discharge spark between the person using the phone, and the car.

If the phone is switched on and being carried by the person fuelling the car, the usual process of "polling" the nearest base station or receiving / making a call causes a small potential build-up. If this doesn't drain to earth, it *could* (small risk, but possible) discharge rapidly when the person touches the car body. This could ignite the vapour, etc etc etc.

It's a tiny risk but a risk all the same ...

 

What everyone has to remember is that petrol vapour is actually heavier than air, this means theoretically you could smoke at the pump but i wouldnt drop your cigarette
The warnings given are due to the fact that there IS a possible risk to health, not that its going to happen.

Tony

 

How on earth would petrol vapour get into their pockets in the first place? Was the cause proven?

I quite often get static shocks when leaving cars, but strangely enough they never seem to blow up petrol stations. I also have been known to bring red-hot lumps of iron onto forecourts (in the guise of a turbo), but so far no major fires!

Is there any proven link between cellphones and petrol station fires?

The next thing is that they will ban CD players during aeroplane takeoff because the lasers affect the pilot radios

mb

 

Handheld phones in cars [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Having nearly been knocked off my bicycle TWICE yesterday due to arseholes talking into phones. I would LOVE to see handheld phone use BANNED from cars. One of the above was sending a TXT message!!!!. *****.

YES I have a mobile! But Im responsible enough not to endanger people by talking into it! whilst driving!

People like that kill and maim hundreds of people every year. But thats OK as long as they finish the inane conversation!

[Edited by rr_ww - 7/24/2002 10:53:11 PM]

 

rr_ww,

I too hate motorists who use phones and are not in control of their vehicle, but i feel that it is not the phone in itself that is the problem - it is their attitude!!

To blame phones for accidents, but to ignore smoking, arguments with passengers, soft (or hard) drinks, sandwiches, sweets and so on will not fix the problem.

As for "People like you kill and maim hundreds of people every year." ... bit OTT perhaps? I haven't killed or maimed anyone, ever, this year or indeed during the previous mumble years that i have been driving!

I would have e-mailed you to discuss, but your profile seems rather empty

Oh, and can i just say that i feel that bikers tend to be far more "road aware" than most car drivers (just to try to get into your good books )

Take care,

mb

 

Boomer

Ok Mate, bit strong. Your right its the attitude of drivers generally, but its hard trying to remain calm when someones just tried to kill you!

I'll edit the above.

Richard (Now a little calmer than earlier)

[Edited by rr_ww - 7/24/2002 10:54:10 PM]

 

Been cycling A LOT in town some years ago. Must agree that most people just do not care. And I hate it when other people put my health at danger. They wouldn't do it with their own! So I understand only to well if someone is pished off by this attitude.

Ralf

 

By this logic, all the carbon dioxide in the air would settle at ground level and suffocate us all, whilst the oxygen would float up to the top whwre only the tallest giraffes could breathe!!

In reality all the gases mix together because of diffusion