Post-Collision Vehicle Fires - Causes and Room for Improvement

Although post-collision vehicle fires occur in less than 1% of all traffic accidents, they pose an enormous threat to the passengers involved. According to an estimate made by the German Federal Highway Research Institute about 80 persons are killed by post-collision vehicle fires each year in Germany, while the NHTSA refers to about 300 in the USA. To learn more about what causes the fires and to thus be able to conclude prevention measures, DEKRA analysed 79 accidents involving a vehicle fire. The consequent report identifies the main causes of ignition and the combustibles most frequently involved. Rudimentary proposals for improvements are outlined and relevant legal regulations are listed.