| Burn Injuries |
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Motor vehicle fires account for 1 out of every 5 fires. One out of eight fire deaths are from motor vehicle fires. Six hundred people are killed and 1,200 firefighters are injured every year from motor vehicle fires. A vehicle fire can generate heat upwards of 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, and flames from burning vehicles can often shoot out distances of 10 feet or more. Parts of the vehicle can burst because of heat, shooting debris great distances. Bumper and hatchback door struts, two-piece tire rims, magnesium wheels, drive shafts, grease seals, axle, and engine parts, all can become lethal shrapnel. Gas tanks of motor vehicles can rupture and spray flammable fuel or can explode altogether. Battery acid can cause injury even without burning. Automobiles, trucks, and other motor vehicles are made of many synthetic materials that emit harmful, deadly gases when they burn. Fires in motor vehicles can produce toxic gases, including carbon monoxide, which in high doses can lead to death. Vehicle fires are so dangerous that firefighters wear full protective fire resistant equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus. Many vehicle fires can be attributed to dangerous and defective fuel system designs, which are subject to compromise or failure in the event of a collision. Safer fuel systems have been economically available for more than 30 years, but as a result of efforts by the auto manufacturers to avoid implementing alternative designs, there are still tens of thousands of vehicles on the nation's highways with defective and hazardous fuel systems. |
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