Improving Survivability in Motor Vehicle Fires.
Improving Survivability in Motor Vehicle Fires.
(51 K)
Digges, K. H.; Gann, R. G.; Grayson, S. J.; Hirschler,
M. M.; Lyon, R. E.; Purser, D. A.; Quintiere, J. G.;
Stephenson, R. R.; Tewarson, A.
Volume 1;
Interflam 2007. (Interflam '07). International
Interflam Conference, 11th Proceedings. Volume 1.
September 3-5, 2007, London, England, 135-143 pp, 2007.
Keywords:
motor vehicle fires; survivability; safety measures;
safety standards; automobile fires; fire statistics;
fire tests; flashover; large scale fire tests; plastics;
equations; crashworthiness
Abstract:
Automobile fires are consistently among the largest
causes of fire death in the United States (about 500
annually) and the U.S. motor vehicle industry has spent
$14 million in recent years studying this problem. The
authors of this review have analyzed the auto industry
reports, the scientific literature, and statistical
data, and conclude that measures should be taken to
improve survivability in automobile fires. The US
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 302 was introduced
almost 40 years ago to measure the flammability of
interior materials, but improvements in the
crashworthiness of automobiles and their fuel tanks and
the increased use of combustible materials has changed
the motor vehicle fire scenario significantly. In
particular, the primary threat has changed from ignition
of a small quantity of combustible interior materials by
a lit cigarette, in 1960, to ignition of a large
quantity of combustible interior and exterior materials
by an impact-induced fire, at present. The authors
therefore suggest that FMVSS 302 is no longer relevant
to automobile fire safety and recommend improved
standards based on objective criteria for fire safety
performance (fireworthiness) at the system/vehicle level
as is routinely done for crashworthiness.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899