Muscat: The number of incidents of vehicle fires reported in 2020 reached was dropped by 163 from 769 cases in 2019 to 606 in 2020, the latest figures said.
“Vehicle fires see a significant rise during summer leading to human and property losses. This can be avoided through attentive care to maintain the vehicle and replace damaged parts with new and high-quality ones,” PACDA said.
In its advisory to motorists, the Technical Inspection Department said that the main cause of the fire has been neglecting periodical maintenance of vehicles. As the temperature rise, motorists should pay more attention to their vehicles and reduce speed to avoid any untoward incidents.
“Rising temperature has a negative impact on the performance of the vehicle in different ways. This can not only do damage to the vehicle but also cause accidents. Some of the other safety measures are turning off the engine and mobile phones when refueling, keeping fire extinguishers, using only original spare parts — especially radiators — and getting vehicles repaired only at licensed workshops,” it said.
In case the vehicle catches fire, stop immediately. Evacuate passengers and try dousing the fire using an extinguisher. Disconnect the battery if possible to prevent further spread. The radiator is an important part that reduces the temperature at the engine parts, thus protecting it from being damaged and corroded.
“Therefore, water in the radiator should be changed before summer and preferably get it cleaned at the time of periodic maintenance of the vehicle to avoid clogging of the joints and thus increasing the temperature of the engine of the vehicle,” the department said.
It also pointed out that the tyres should be replaced with new ones in accordance with technical specifications. This will ensure safety from friction of the edges of tyres and erosion.
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