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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2001

Vol. 531 No. 3

Written Answers. - Road Safety.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

301 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if, arising from investigations into the causes of road accidents by way of subsequent reports emanating from the insurance industry or the emergency services, any research has been done into the possible cause or causes of cars igniting on impact with consequent loss of life; if there is a propensity for particular makes or models of cars to ignite on impact more readily than others; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6036/01]

Due to the generally high risk of a fire, the emergency services regard all accidents involving motor vehicles as serious fire hazards and plan accordingly at accident sites. While extensive crash-worthiness testing of cars is carried out by manufacturers and by regulatory authorities worldwide, this does not appear to address the question of fire risk associated with accidental impacts. I am not aware of any research that identifies model specific fire risks in the event of a road accident.

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