- Fire hazard: Gasoline is highly flammable, and a running engine poses a risk of fire or explosion when gas vapours escape into the air and ignite from heat or the exhaust system.
- Protect your vehicle’s fuel system: Keeping the engine running can cause electronic fuel pumps and sensor systems to behave irregularly, leading to fuel overflow or pressure issues.
- Static electricity risk: Cars generate static electricity, which can cause dangerous sparks when combined with gasoline vapours.
Why is it critical?
When your vehicle’s engine is running, it generates heat and may spark. Combined with petrol vapours, this can lead to accidental ignition. For this reason, turning off your engine is one of the most important safety protocols at petrol pumps.
Moreover, Indian petrol stations require vehicles to have their engines switched off during refuelling. Failing to do so not only endangers safety but can also result in fines or refusal of service.
Key things to remember at petrol stations
Therefore, when you are refuelling, it is important to remember a few key things.
