Skip to main content

Fuelling the fire

A motorcyclist in India found out exactly why it is advisable not to use a cellphone while topping up fuel at a filling station. The man stopped to fill the tank of his motorcycle, then rested the phone on the bike. A huge flame suddenly appeared, setting the rider and his bike alight. Luckily however an attendant was near at hand, quickly coming to the aid of the rider. The motorcyclist also had the good sense to move his bike away from the pumps, preventing the fire from spreading.
December 23, 2015 Read time: 1 min

A motorcyclist in India found out exactly why it is advisable not to use a cellphone while topping up fuel at a filling station. The man stopped to fill the tank of his motorcycle, then rested the phone on the bike. A huge flame suddenly appeared, setting the rider and his bike alight. Luckily however an attendant was near at hand, quickly coming to the aid of the rider. The motorcyclist also had the good sense to move his bike away from the pumps, preventing the fire from spreading.

Related Content

  • Tunnel technology improves driving safety
    February 14, 2012
    Tunnel technology advances will make driving through underground links considerably safer, writes Mike Woof
  • A sinkhole in St Albans near London swallows up the road
    October 9, 2015
    Around 20 residents of St Albans, a town near London, were evacuated after a huge sinkhole appeared overnight. The hole, 20m in diameter and 10m deep, cut right across at the road and well into an adjoining garden, leaving one family’s car stranded on the driveway. Residents are said to have heard a crash before the huge crater appeared, according to a BBC report. The local fire service said it had been aware of a small hole that was due to be filled in, but a resident called the station at 1:30 in the mor
  • Safer cone collection with X-Cone among the latest safety innovations
    August 30, 2017
    X-Cone is a new traffic cone management system offering a higher level of safety for workers and maximum efficiency for contractors. Austrian-made X-Cone is a truck-mounted system that can manage the setting out and collection of cones from the flatbed of any 3.5tonne vehicle. It does not matter if the cones are straight or laying on the road, the X-cone can still manage the work quickly, safely and reliably, according to the manufacturer. For setting out standard cones, the driver can decide the distance b
  • Distracted driving dangers – from phone use at the wheel
    June 17, 2019
    The latest research reveals that the use of hands-free phone systems is just as dangerous as driving drunk. The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has carried out extensive research into the use of cellphones by drivers. Moves to improve road safety in the UK have seen a reduction in the casualty rate, with a notable drop in the 2007-2012 period. However in the last five years, there has been minimal progress, with the UK’s road casualty figures remaining broadly static. There is particular concern