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Yes, with good reasons Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:46:49
In Reply to: Turn off engine while refueling?, John in Bismarck, Sat, 8 Dec 2007 07:11:10 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
To be very safe with very dangerous things, you build up layers of safety. It's why there aren't many gas station fires (but there are some) and there aren't many airplane crashes (but there are some). And why there are a LOT of car crashes.
You don't want one mistake to cause a disaster. Hopefully, you're two, three, or six serial errors away from a very bad day. Each error/fault has a low probability, multiplied it is very very low. But as you strip away those protections, the possibility of bad things increases.
Now, multiply that by the number of refuelings a day in this country, and even a small chance becomes real. Feeling lucky?
Why shut off the car? There isn't much chance of spilled gas. But automatic shutoffs do fail, and you could spill gas. An idling car has a hot catalytic converter - yes, it's hot from the drive, but letting it idle doesn't cool it down any. And gas doesn't burn - but it's the fumes that do - and spilled gas fumes could seep up into the engine compartment, where very few cars, but some, may have some rubbing metal.
I see the following issues with letting the car run -
- Spilled gas from a faulty shutoff or a leaky fuel filler pipe, and hot bits under the car.
- The car slips into gear and drives off (it happens), destroying the pump. Safety aside, a bad thing. Yes, there is an automatic shutoff on the pump. Again, when was that feature last checked?
- You hop into the car and rive off, hose still in the car. Having to start it is just one extra step, which may be the difference.
Heck, I won't start the car if someone is getting in or loading the trunk. Yes, my foot is on the brake and the car is in neutral. The chances of a mistake are low. But why risk it?
People will buy lotto tickets with a 43 million to one chance expecting to win, but will routinely do things that have a 10,000 to one or lower chance of killing them without a worry. Is shutting the car off so bad?
posted by 192.249....
, Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:46:49 <-- Viewing This Message
, Sun, 9 Dec 2007 21:43:34, Sun, 9 Dec 2007 00:16:38
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