HOW CARS CATCH FIRE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 17 January 1931, Page 3

HOW CARS CATCH FIRE

EASE OF EXIT Dealing with the subject of motor ear fires, the “Motor” remarks that the safest position for the tank is only one ground of inquiry; another is its design and construction. In at least one car the tank is so built that It is practically invulnerable, while in others it is so lightly constructed and it is easily ripped and the contents spilt. An important consideration is ease of exit in cases of fire. In some cars we have tried it lias only been necessary to place the wheels on the kerb on one side of the road for body stresses to be set up which make it almost impossible to open the doors. Two-door saloons, not so popular as they were, have the disadvantage that the rear passengers cannot jump out until the front passengers have escaped. Narrow windows make it difficult to clamber out of a car that way, even if tile glass can be readily broken, and this is, naturally more difficult in tlie ease of tlie unsplinterablo type. It would he important, if it were possible, to ascertain wliat is tlie direct cause of cars catching fire, hut in no single case lias it been possible to do so. Exhaust pipes do not run hot, although there is always the possibility of the exhaust from a fractured pipe igniting spilt petrol. So far as the electrical equipment is concerned, the chief risk is that of short circuit of leads connecting with the battery. In a general sniasli-up it might occur at the switch-box connections. The fact that leads are usually armoured diminishes the risk to some extent, hut with a charged battery there is bound to he some danger. Another possibility is that a spark from the dynamo brushes might lire the petrol, as the dynamo may continue to run a sufficient time after the accident. Possibly even a spark from the distributor might cause ignition. it is extremely difficult, to see what can he done to elucidate the causes of tires in the ease of overturned cars, the chances being that experiments would not reproduce the conditions that occur in accidents, each one of them probably being different.