Data dari laman web Bomba dan Penyelamat menyatakan dari
tahun 2004 hingga 2008 sejumlah 9,370 kes kenderaan terbakar. Presiden CAP, S.
M. Mohamed Idris mendesak agar siasatan dan laporan terperinci perlu
dikeluarkan demi keselamatan para pengguna.
PULAU PINANG 17 Mei 2012
Presiden CAP, S. M. Mohamed Idris menunjukkan poster gambar
kenderaan yang hangus terbakar secara misteri termasuk Lamborghini Gallardo,
Peugeot Sport 308, Ferrari F430, Porche Boxter Sports dan Honda Civic katanya
pada sidang akhbar di sini hari ini. - UTUSAN/ISMAIL KAMADIN
Investigate cause of vehicle fires
Malaysia
has experienced a spate of vehicle fires of late, some of which involving
luxury cars and an SUV. These fires were not caused by collision as the cars
caught fire while they were moving and some others while they were parked. The
causes of these vehicle fires remain unexplained and unresolved.
Without proper knowledge of the causes of these car fires
and subsequent remedy, Malaysian car owners are subject to risks of loss,
injuries and even deaths. Malaysians also want to know how safe their cars are
from fires. Car fires are a huge problem all over the world involving hundreds
of thousands of vehicles yearly and it is time that the Malaysian authorities
do something serious about this deadly risk.
CAP calls for proper investigations of all vehicle fires and
the results of these findings to be made public. The reporting of all cases of
vehicle fires must be made mandatory so that our authorities can monitor and
study the problem.
CAP is alarmed at the number of vehicles going up in flames.
In the last 8 months alone the media reported 8 instances of various types of
vehicles going up in flames under mysterious circumstances. CAP believes that
there must be other cases which go unreported by the media. When CAP contacted
the Insurance Services of Malaysia for statistics we were told that they “do
not collate such statistics from the industry”.
According to the US Fire Administration there were 215,500
car fires in the year 2010, resulting in 310 deaths, 1,590 injuries and a loss
of US$1,376 million.
In Malaysia,
the following car fires were reported by the media in the last 8 months:
-- In September 2011, a Lamborghini Gallardo was reduced to
ashes at Bukit Damansara while the owner was taking the car for a warm-up spin.
When CAP wrote to BOMBA enquiring what was the cause of the
fire, we were told that it was due to a technical fault. The Ministry of
Transport replied, based on the BOMBA and JPJ reports, that it was due to fuel
leak. Such replies are simply not good enough an explanation of what is at
fault and whether the car manufacturer was liable.
-- In October 2011 a Peugeot Sport 308 which had been in the
garage of the owner suddenly burst into flames at midnight.
-- In March this year a Ferrari F430 while travelling along
the highway near Mantin was destroyed by fire.
-- A Porche Boxter Sports also experienced a fire in Malaysia while
it was being parked in March this year.
-- In October 2010, a Honda Civic 2.0L exploded into flames
2 hours after it had been parked in the garage of the owner in Sungei Petani.
BOMBA put out the fire and in their report said that the
fire started from the engine. Honda Malaysia reported that they did not find
any unusual symptoms to cause the fire. The insurance company removed the
wreckage and paid the claims but did not give any technical report. The car was
never seen again. The owner was unhappy that she was not given a proper report
and finally complained to CAP.
-- In April this year, a van was reported to have burst into
flames along the North-South expressway, near Sungiei Buloh
Hospital.
-- In January this year a bus ferrying passengers burst into
flames near Malacca.
-- In April this year, a SUV exploded when the owner started
the car in front of his house, in KL. He died a few days later.
It is surprising that exotic cars made up a high percentage
of these car fires. When expensive cars have such poor record of fire safety,
how safe are ordinary cars? It seems that cars are not designed and
manufactured safe.
When a safety defect is reported to manufacturers the
customers expect them to take it seriously and do an in-depth investigation.
However, this seldom or never happens in Malaysia. Instead, manufacturers
distance themselves from the issue after a brief visual examination and give a
one sentence statement.
The authorities should take this seriously and put in place
penalties for violations by manufacturers and suppliers. An exclusive
independent agency should be set up to cater to recall activities for road
vehicles in line with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in USA.
When modifications are done to a vehicle it has to be
approved by the Road Transport Department. Repair to cars also may cause
potential problems.
Therefore, workshops and auto workers should be certified
for the services. Auto spare parts, especially electrical parts and cables,
should conform to SIRIM Standards.
CAP calls on the authorities to implement the following:
-- Set up a body to register and investigate all vehicle
fires, determine causes and seek ways to remedy the problem.
-- Proper procedures should be in place for total write-off
of vehicles.
-- Car owners should be provided with a full report of the
investigations.
-- Compile statistics on vehicle safety defect and fires.
-- The compiled data should be used to ensure new vehicles
rolling out of plants are manufactured safe.
-- Ensure spare parts in the market conform to safety
standards.
-- Auto workshops should be certified to conform to good
standards of service.
-- Automotive technicians should be certified before they
handle safety parts of cars.
-- Set up a recall mechanism with an exclusive agency to
deal with all car recall activities.
-- Penalties should be put in place for violations by
manufacturers and suppliers.
Press Statement, 17 May 2012
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