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Siphon pressure test illustrates the high flow rate of fuel from a compromised fuel tank.

The driver suffered fatal burn injuries when this 1996 GMC Sierra Pickup
Truck impacted a tree after running off the roadway. If not for the burn
injuries the driver would have survived this crash.

Manufacturers have long
been aware of the risk of
fires associated with
defective fuel systems...

Vehicle manufacturers have a duty to the public to design vehicles that will not create a fire hazard in survivable collisions.  However, government safety standards only reduce the chance of fire in some types of crashes and automotive manufacturers have failed to adopt their own standards to avoid such fires.  Despite the fact that automotive manufacturers have long been aware of the risk of fires associated with defective fuel systems, the incidence of vehicle fires has continued to be a serious problem.

Any fuel leak creates a very high danger of fire in the event of a collision.  Only three elements are required to create a post collision fire: fuel, oxygen and an ignition source. Oxygen is readily available and there are numerous ignition sources present during a collision.  Thus, if a fuel leak occurs, the potential for a fire is substantial.  There are several common fuel system defects that can cause fuel leaks which result in post-collision fires.

The driver suffered severe burn injuries when the side saddle gas tank
of this 1986 GMC Half-Ton Pickup ruptured when the vehicle left the
roadway in bad weather and hit a tree.

Fuel Tanks

Defects in the design and placement of fuel tanks have been among the most widely publicized fuel system defects, including the Pinto cases and the General Motors "sidesaddle" trucks with fuel tanks located outside the frame rail.  Fuel tank defects may involve the location of the tank on the vehicle, the placement of the tank near objects that can potentially puncture the tank, the material from which the tank is constructed, the actual construction of the tank including improper welds, and the failure to adequately shield the tank.

Fuel Lines

Fuel-injected engines require fuel to travel through fuel lines at high pressure.  Due to the high pressures involved, even a small compromise in a fuel line can result in a large amount of fuel escaping from the fuel system.  Failure in a line may be caused by the location or routing of the line.  Failure in a line may also result from the use of inappropriate materials.  The location and composition of the fuel lines is critical to the overall fuel system integrity of a vehicle.

Fuel Pump

Most fuel-injected engines have electric fuel pumps.  It is critical that these pumps shut off in the event of a collision.  If a fuel pump does not shut off following a collision, the pump will continue to circulate gasoline through the fuel system, providing a constant source of fuel for any resulting fire.  There are many different types of mechanisms that are used to shut off the fuel pump in the event of a collision.  The type of mechanism used, and the location of that mechanism, may play a significant role in whether the fuel pump does, in fact, shut off following a collision.

Siphoning

It is possible for fuel to siphon from a fuel tank after a collision, providing a continuing source of fuel for a vehicle fire.  Siphoning is the flowing of fuel through a point of compromise in a fuel system due to gravity.  Gas can siphon from the fuel system at a very high rate, providing a substantial amount of fuel for a vehicle fire.  Although manufacturers have known of the danger of fuel siphoning for many years, and although anti-siphoning devices are inexpensive, anti-siphoning devices are not incorporated on many vehicles presently on the highway.

Conclusion There are no government regulations regarding the placement, design or materials used in fuel tanks or fuel systems; the post-crash functioning of fuel pumps, or prevention of fuel siphoning after a crash.  Nonetheless, manufacturers have an obligation to ensure vehicle occupants are not exposed to easily preventable risks of death and disfigurement from vehicle fires.

(10/18/99)