The frontal crash mode accounts for about half of the fires in Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and National Automotive Sampling System (NASS). Rollovers account for about 25% of the major fires in NASS and carrythe highest risk of fatality in FARS fires. In NASS, the vast majority offires that occur in frontal and rollover crashes originate underhood. Many of these fires eventually engulf the occupant compartment. Incapacitation and entrapment of occupants are important survival factors when underhood fires occur. Tests of several vehicles under operational conditions indicated that the surface temperature of the exhaust manifold and catalytic converter can exceed the ignition temperature of many underhood fluids. NCAP tests should include leakage measurements of all fluids. If leakage is observed, ratings could be assigned based on the amount and flammability ofany fluid leakage. Since rapid egress is needed when fire occurs, the force required to open doors should be a basis for the safety rating, as well. Finally, there is technology on-the-road for electrical disconnects of the fuel pump and battery. These features should be evaluated as part of the NCAP test. The full text of this paper may be found at: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/esv/esv21/09-0215.pdf For the covering abstract see ITRD E145407.
Abstract