I was speaking with a guy who does auto detailing and asked him what his hardest challenge has been.
He told me about a car that caught fire and needed a lot of work.
It turns out that car fires are real, though often overlooked, hazards.
You can get burned, and if the gas tank explodes, you are toast.
If your burning car is in a garage, the fire can spread to the surrounding structure, compounding the danger.
A car fire in a crowded tunnel can be a major disaster.
In the U.
S.
, car fires represent 25 percent of all fires, 250,000 a year.
Annual deaths from car fires exceed 500, and there are over 3,300 injuries.
Unfortunately, the numbers are increasing.
It is therefore important to know the basic procedures to follow if you are involved in a car fire: · If you are driving a moving vehicle, get over to the rightmost lane or the shoulder.
You want to exit the car without running into moving traffic.
Use your blinkers to quickly switch lanes.
If you have installed a loud air horn kit, sound it.
· Stop the car and turn off the engine.
This will keep the car from pumping additional gasoline into the fire and will turn off the electrical systems.
· Get yourself and your passengers out of the car as quickly as possible.
Stay clear of moving traffic.
· Run away from the car, waving your hands to warn oncoming traffic to move to the left.
Run in the direction of oncoming traffic so that you can warn it.
Don't even think about trying to salvage anything "valuable" from the car unless it's breathing.
· Call 911 or the fire department on your cell phone.
Do NOT attempt to extinguish the fire - the fire may instead extinguish you.
While gas tanks do indeed explode, it is rare.
More likely is that some fluids in the engine may ignite.
Tires are also dangerous.
When they get hot, they start exploding, spewing burning rubber everywhere.
This is reminiscent of a napalm attack.
And if that isn't bad enough, batteries can also explode, sending acid and shrapnel flying.
Air bags may deploy, sending burning plastic into the surroundings.
A hellscape of burning fluids, rubber, glass and shrapnel, accompanied by an acid bath, should be enough to get you running for your life.
Toxic clouds may follow you as you escape, so get far away from the scene.
Lung damage from breathing in hot gases can kill you.
Carbon monoxide rising from the burning wreck can suffocate you.
Be grateful you escaped with your life.
Don't forget to contact your insurance agent once the danger has passed.