Due to holidays with heat and car trips, it is more common for cars to ignite.
According to Transport Canada, there are nearly 10,000 car fires across the country every year from all sorts of causes, such as arson, improper maintenance or repair, collisions, and defects.
On average, just 93 safety-related vehicle fires are registered each year, the federal agency said in an email to Global News.
The number one cause of vehicle fires is traffic accidents, according to Edmonton Fire Investigation Specialist Keith Fowler. Manufacturing errors and improper repairs would be the second and third most common causes.
“In the summer, many of them are caused by overloading the vehicle, which causes the transmission to overheat,” he explained in an interview with Global News. The latter added that the risk of fire in the event of a breakdown is high when it is warmer.
Winter also brings its own risks, such as: B. Accidents caused by slippery road surfaces, says Rob de Pruis, national director for consumer and industry relations at the Insurance Bureau of Canada, who adds that the summer heat poses “additional challenges” for motorists.
“Different seasons bring different circumstances,” he clarified.
If you smell a burning odor in your car and it is accompanied by obvious smoke, you must exit the vehicle and move 50 to 70 feet in addition to calling the fire department. The vehicle should take some time before catching fire to give all occupants time to get out.
The best protection against such an event is regular maintenance and the necessary repairs.
“It’s really one of the most important things you can do to prevent any kind of fire, whether you’re involved in a collision or not,” de Pruis said.