DO NOT Leave Kids In The Car Alone!

Today I saw a woman leave her child in the car with the engine running, alone and unattended. The mother was nowhere to be seen. This post will tell you why you should NEVER do that, and in a very direct way.

We have all heard the complaints that the kids might get kidnapped, heat stroke, etc. These are all good points (although sometimes over dramatic), however we are not talking about that here. We are talking about keeping your child from burning to death. Many parents think that if they leave the engine running with the air conditioning on that it will eliminate the risk of heat stroke for their children. In fact, it is quite the opposite because of the risk of fire. Rather than simply telling you that you shouldn’t leave them alone with the engine running, we are going to show you.

Let’s share a statistic.

AAA and the National Fire Protection Association issued a warning about car fires. Last year, 266,000 car fires resulted in 520 deaths.

You may be thinking, “My car won’t catch fire in the 3 minutes it takes me to complete my errand”. To you I say, lets put that theory to the test.

Below is a video of how fast you can get 2nd and 3rd degree burns from an ignited gas leak in a car. Count how many seconds it took for their hair to catch on fire. Do you think it’s enough time for you to finish checking out at Walmart?

These three guys may have been acting a fool. So how about we show a more common scenario. This woman was driving down the road and then lit her cigarette. How long did it take for her car to become fully involved? A static spark from someone moving in their car seat can ignite gasoline vapors just as easily as a cigarette lighter.

But how did the fuel vapors get into the cab? My car won’t catch fire right? We hope not, but fuel leaks are more common than you might think, and the vapors typically find their way into the cab quite easily if a leak is present because gasoline is very volatile.

Here are a couple video’s of real cars that have fuel leaks. We are not singling out these particular brands, as EVERY auto manufacturer has a record of fuel leaks on their automobiles. Notice that these are not necessarily old cars. Also notice the wet spots, which are pure gasoline. Thirdly, note that the fuel is spraying directly onto electrical wiring.

The below video shows a leaking fuel pump. The Volvo’s fuel tanks are directly below the rear seat. In other words, directly below your child’s car seat.

A leaking fuel pump below the rear seat has personally occurred to my wife’s car. The part was eventually recalled. This single failure affected hundreds of thousands of people.

Here is a real example of an automotive recall for fuel leaks and fuel vapors inside the cab.

Do you still want more examples?

Toyota’s Lexus division is recalling 423,000 cars because of the potential for a fuel leak that could cause fires.

The recall was among 1.7 million vehicles recalled worldwide by Toyota on Wednesday, many of them models not sold in the U.S.

Toyota says the U.S. recall applies to a slew of older Lexus models. They include the 2007 through 2010 LS sedan; 2006 through 2011 GS sedan; 2006 through 2011 IS compact; 2010 IS C; and 2008 through 2010 IS-F vehicles.

RECALL Subject : Fuel Leak from Cracking In The Fuel Pulse Damper
Report Receipt Date: JAN 06, 2014
NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V002000
Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Potential Number of Units Affected: 27,933
Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company

SUMMARY:
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Edge vehicles manufactured from September 2, 2010, through April 25, 2013, and equipped with 2.0L engines. The fuel line pulse damper metal housing may crack as a result of an improper manufacturing process. A cracked fuel line pulse damper housing may result in a combination of fuel odor, weepage, or a continuous leak while the fuel system is pressurized.

CONSEQUENCE:
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire

General Motors to recall nearly 41,000 Chevrolet and Pontiac vehicles for possible fuel leaks

GM is recalling 40,859 vehicles due to a potential fuel leak problem caused by a cracked plastic part. The recall affects Chevrolet’s Cobalt and Equinox and Pontiac’s G5 and Torrent.

And there are hundreds of other examples. Simply having your car’s recalls repaired is not good enough either. Do you think auto manufacturers are super heroes that can see the future? Of course not, so you can’t expect them to predict every part failure before it happens. Given this, there are many current problems involving fuel leaks and fires that are still unknown, and not yet recalled.

Fuel is only one of the possible cause of fires!

Your exhaust temperatures can reach an excess of 1,000 degrees. You also have hundreds of plastic parts only inches away from your exhaust headers. If a plastic part such as wire or hose breaks a 1 cent clip and touches the exhaust it could catch on fire. Exterior wall temperatures of exhaust pipes are typically closer to 300 or 400 degrees, so 1,000 represents an extreme typically seen in racing applications, but it is possible, especially after aggressive or interstate driving.

Can you even see the exhaust on this engine? If not, how would you know what it is touching?

The auto ignition temperature of gasoline is ~550 degrees F. This means, gasoline will combust if it reaches this temperature, even without another flame or spark present.

Bearing failure, slipping belts and oil leaks on exhaust can all also cause an engine fire! Vehicle fires have also happened from even the most trivial tasks of turning on radios or adjusting the power seats due to electrical problems.

A car fire is more likely than you might think, and it may happen to you when you least expect it. Please consider the safety of your children, and share this important safety article with your loved ones.Those that have lived through a car fire know how terrifying it can be. This article also demonstrates why it is so important to keep your vehicle properly maintained.