Users worry about the location of fire extinguishers on cars

Car manufacturers have not yet issued instructions on the location of fire extinguishers while the regulation has come into effect.

Regulations on installing fire extinguishers in vehicles are effective from January 6, 2016.

The circular regulating the installation of fire extinguishers in cars has come into effect, but the biggest question for users is where to install them safely and properly. Because the circular itself does not provide specific instructions.

Mercedes in Vietnam said it is in the process of researching and making recommendations on the location of fire extinguishers in cars according to new regulations of the Ministry of Public Security. The company is expected to provide advice next week. Similarly, Ford Vietnam dealers are also waiting for a response from the factory.

According to a technical consultant of a luxury car company with a showroom in District 1, he cannot advise customers on where to install the fire extinguisher, because in reality, there is no instruction document in the car's user manual. Currently, it is all based on experience or word of mouth.

Mr. Dinh Duy, a Mercedes C250 driver, chose to keep the fire extinguisher in the luggage compartment, under the spare tire. Explaining the storage location, he said he did not feel secure leaving the fire extinguisher in the car because of the safety of the fire extinguisher if the car had to be parked in the sun for a long time, even though the newly purchased extinguisher had an inspection stamp and the expiration date was affixed on it and there was a warning about the temperature at which the fire extinguisher should be stored.

In addition, according to him, if the regulation of fire extinguishers on cars is to be effective, management agencies need to organize training courses on the use of fire extinguishers for all drivers, because in addition to buying fire extinguishers, not everyone knows how to use them.

The mounting location under the front passenger seat on cars is practiced in some countries.

According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Dong, an automobile engineer who worked in Germany for many years, normally, fire extinguishers are only required for special vehicles, or not. If fire extinguishers are required for all types of cars, the government needs to order the production of car fire extinguishers that can withstand impact and high temperatures to ensure safety when installed on cars.

Mr. Dong added that if a normal car is parked in the sun, the temperature inside the car can reach over 55 degrees Celsius, and if parked for a long time under strong sunlight without protection, the temperature inside the car can reach up to 80 degrees Celsius, exceeding the safety threshold in fire extinguisher storage conditions, easily leading to the fire extinguisher becoming a dangerous explosion source.

In case of damage due to fire extinguishers not being stored in proper conditions, which agency will be responsible for the consequences and damage caused by the fire extinguisher?

Therefore, according to him, to be safe, if installing a fire extinguisher in a car, one should choose a cool parking location to ensure safety, or else, the authorities should order manufacturers to produce fire extinguishers that can withstand high temperatures.

According to VnExpress