In the unfortunate event that you find smoke or fire coming from your vehicle, take these precautionary steps to assist with your safety as well as the safety of all passengers.
Fortunately, most car fires can be prevented by safe driving and regular car maintenance.

Here is a list of preventative measures to take to avoid motorvehicle fires:

1. If you see smoke or smell something burning, to prevent a full-blown fire pull over and shut off the engine to stop the flow of fuel.
2. In any emergency situation it is important to stay calm and to not panic.
3. If you smell something burning or see smoke coming from the bonnet, put your hazards on and pull safely to the side of the road. Don’t try to get to your destination first, just pull over.

“Hmmm, I can’t tell if that burning smell is coming from my car or from the car behind me”.
This is a rookie error and one of the worst thoughts to have in such a situation.

9 Steps to be mindful of if your vehicle catches fire:

1. Make sure your hand-break is up. We don’t want a dangerous vehicle being let loose into traffic.
2. Take your key out of the ignition. This will stop the flow of fuel, which can prevent a full-blown fire from blazing up.
3. Get yourself and all passengers out of the car swiftly and smoothly, and move to a safe place as far away from the car as possible, at least 45-50m away.
4. Call 10111 or press your Blue Security Panic App Button for roadside assistance. Only do this once you are a safe distance away from the vehicle.
5. If you have one available, use a reflective triangle to let other drivers know that there is a road obstruction ahead that they need to be wary of. If you don’t have a reflective triangle, it would be a good idea to invest in one.
6. If you are all about safety, it might be a good idea to invest in a fire extinguisher to keep in your boot.
7. If you see smoke coming from the bonnet, but no flames, open the bonnet but not all the way! Oxygen may cause flames to ignite so, give it a couple of minutes for the engine to cool. In this instance you could use the fire extinguisher from a few meters away then call 10111 to dispatch fire emergency services or press your Blue Panic Button.
8. Be cautious of putting the fire out yourself. There is always a risk of an explosion and toxic fumes coming from the car.
9. If you have no idea what you are doing or why your car may have overheated or started gathering smoke, press your Blue Panic App Button or call your roadside assistance company right away.

Here is a list of the top 3 causes of car fires:

1. Design flaws

Certain cars are more prone to fires than others, such as we saw with the Ford Kuga. If the manufacturer does not catch a problem, it could lead to a fire or explosion.
Manufacturer flaws that may lead to fires include:

• Electrical issues
• Faulty batteries or
• Fuel tank leaks.

2. Car accidents

Car accidents will cause a fire depending on what area of the car is hit. For example, if the gas tank is hit, it could cause a leak and ensuing fire.

3. Electrical faults

Electrical and mechanical faults include problems with:
• Heated seats
• Batteries
• Heating systems
• Aftermarket accessories
• Even just a stray, frayed wire could result in a catastrophic fire.
After reading these vehicle fire safety tips, I hope you feel a bit more knowledgeable on the given situation. It is always a plus to know the safety measures put in place for life threatening situations. The mind-set of, “It will never happen to me” is just not suitable for anyone nowadays.
Now it’s time for me to ask you, what safety tips are you wanting to hear from Blue Security? Email your replies to siren@bluesecurity.co.za and I will get back to you.
If you want more information regarding our free Blue Security Panic App Button available to Blue clients, contact Lisa Govender on 0317175000 or send her an email at LisaG@bluesecurity.co.za.