- Data shows that people are more likely to die in car fires than in vehicle fires in general
The number of people killed in vehicle fires in England has risen despite the volume of fires falling annually since the pandemic, new figures show.
Incidents involving vehicle fires decreased between 2019 and 2021 (as a result of lockdowns and fewer people driving) and have remained consistently low since then.
However, the death toll has remained consistently high, with more than 130 deaths caused by vehicle fires in the past five years.
Last year alone, 35 people died in vehicle fires, 25 of which occurred in cars, according to data from the Interior Ministry. And experts are at a loss to explain why.
Government fire statistics show that 136 people have died in England in vehicle fires in the past five years, 100 of them in cars.
Over the past two financial years, “primary” fires have fallen by 11.8 per cent, while vehicle fires in that category have fallen by 13.6 per cent, AA analysis shows.
A fire is classified as “primary” if it occurs in a building, vehicle, or outdoor structure; results in casualties or rescues; and/or requires the use of five or more pumping apparatus.
But while vehicle fire deaths averaged 23 per year in the five years before the Covid-19 outbreak, they have risen to an average of 28.5 per year in the past two.
In cars, deaths from such incidents averaged 16.8 per year before Covid, but have risen to 19.5 per year since the end of lockdowns.
Government fire statistics (based on fires attended by fire rescue services in England) show that 136 people have died in vehicle fires in the past five years, 100 of them in cars.
Another 2,409 people suffered burns or other non-fatal injuries in all vehicle fires, including 1,338 in cars.
This means that a victim was more likely to die in a car fire (7 percent) than in a vehicle fire in general (5.3 percent).
Statistics show that a primary car fire is now more likely to be accidental, rather than deliberate, than before the pandemic: 62 to 63 percent now, compared with 51 to 54 percent in the half-decade before lockdowns.
“Despite the general trend towards fewer primary fires, the number of vehicle fires is falling even more rapidly. However, they appear to be becoming more deadly, which is a major concern,” said Tony Rich, the AA’s spokesman on road incidents and hazards.
And the automotive industry is stumped as to why this is happening.
“It’s hard to pinpoint a specific reason for the decline in car fires,” Tony added.
‘However, a lower percentage of deliberate fires is an important indicator, perhaps due to improved safety systems now appearing in older cars. That could mean older cars are less likely to be stolen and then set on fire.
‘Fewer people smoking could be a factor.’
‘A less obvious issue, however, is the impact of more modern, much simpler and safer plug-in technology for adding electrical items to a car, such as in-car entertainment, dash cams, mobile phones and sat navs.’
According to official figures, in the past five years a victim was more likely to die in a car fire (7%) than in a vehicle fire in general (5.3%).
Concerns have been raised about fully electric and hybrid cars and their susceptibility to fire.
However, several experts and research papers have found that electric vehicles are less likely to cause fires than cars with internal combustion engines, although fires in electric vehicles are notoriously more difficult to put out when they start.
‘Air raid patrols, who are used to trying to find out the cause of an electrical fault in an old, broken-down vehicle, recognise the danger when they find faulty wiring that is one spark away from causing a short circuit and, subsequently, a fire. Fortunately, this is less common than it used to be.’
Last October, a fire caused by a diesel vehicle in the car park of Luton Airport’s Terminal 2 made headlines as the rapid fire tore through the structure, eventually causing a significant collapse.
Although no one was killed in the incident, more than 1,400 vehicles were damaged or destroyed.
