Abstract
In the first case, a van crashed into another car and crashed secondly into the poles of guard ropes on the highway. The van caught fire and burned just after stopping and six passengers were killed. The fire was thought to be generated by fuel spilt from the fuel tank which had been torn open by the poles of guard ropes that the van had crashed into and ran over. The fuel tank of the van is situated below the center floor, and the bottom of the tank rises 14cm below the cross member. In the second case, a passenger car caught fire and burned after it slipped and crashed sideways into the pole of guard ropes on a rainy highway. The cause of the fire is thought to be that the fuel spouted out from the plastic tank which was punctured and collapsed by the pole. In another case, a compact car accidentally run over some curb blocks of a sidewalk, and the fuel tank was collapsed by the curb. Just after the car stopped, it exploded and burned, and the driver was killed. We believe that fuel tanks should be designed not to be damaged easily in traffic accidents. Car manufacturers should position fuel tanks more carefully when they design cars, where it would not be damaged easily in traffic accidents. And the authorities should certify the strength of tanks in their assessment tests.
