A 20-vehicle pile-up on the UAE's north-east in which nine people were injured has once again highlighted the crucial need to promote road safety.
Police said the major incident on the road to Dibba Al Fujairah on Wednesday night was triggered when a car caught fire, causing other vehicles to slam on their breaks.
Hot summer months on UAE roads can place extreme pressure on cars and buses, making regular maintenance critical to avoid breakdowns and vehicle fires.
In 2023, almost 1,300 vehicle fires were recorded on the nation’s roads. While not all occurred during the height of summer, high temperatures place vehicle components under more pressure, increasing the risk of fire.
Poorly maintained tyres, low engine coolant levels and disintegrating wiper blades are the most common issues garages said they found in cars brought in for repairs from May to September.
To help avoid breakdowns and problems on the roads, Abu Dhabi Police and Adnoc Distribution launched a free summer inspection service to keep cars on the road, and avoid unnecessary breakdowns and accidents.
At 12 locations across the country, experts are offering free inspections to check a car’s vital signs, including engine oil, brake fluid, coolant and air filters.
A similar campaign is under way in Dubai, where police are also offering free car inspections until August 31, in partnership with AutoPro.
The General Department of Traffic’s awareness campaign, ‘Summer Without Accidents’, offers a free 10-point check-up to assess air conditioning, batteries, radiator hoses, tyres, engine oil and coolant levels, wiper blades and, importantly, the condition of seat belts.
Mechanics at one garage in Dubai said there were simple checks that can be done at home every month to help avoid breakdowns and the risk of a road accident during summertime.
“Most people don't take their tyre pressures or even look in the hood, but this is something that should be done at least once a month during the summer,” said Gary Wheeler, general manager of Saluki Motorsport in Al Quoz.
“Some of the most common things we see on vehicles when they come in during the summer is problems with the coolant pipes that may not be immediately obvious when doing a quick check.
“They are usually hidden underneath certain things, like the manifolds.
“Most of the pipes on these modern cars are made of plastic, so they are constantly under expansion and contraction, so often they split.
“These problems happen year round, but it's exacerbated by the summer heat.”
Road deaths
The summer months can be the most dangerous on UAE roads.
On average, there were 273 accidents recorded each month across the country in 2023.
But despite fewer cars on the roads in the summer, there were 14 fatalities on the roads in July 2023 – the joint highest number for the year – and 173 injuries.
There were a further 22 deaths in August and September, but just 16 in January and February – typically the busiest time of year in the UAE.
Poor vehicle maintenance is a contributing factor to road accidents.
Mr Wheeler said tyres should be checked regularly as hot roads during summer place them under considerable pressure.
“Tyre technology has got a lot better, and they’re now lasting four to five years,” he said.
“The rubber some manufacturers use tends to go hard, so you don't really notice the wear.
“But you will notice radial cracks in the tyre tread area and also on the side.
“A date stamp on the tyre will tell you the month and year of manufacture, and you can find the correct tyre pressure for your vehicle with a quick online check.”
Vehicle fire
An overheated engine is one of the most common causes of vehicle fire. When fluids like oil and coolant rise in temperature and spill out of circulation areas, they can land on to hot parts of the engine bay and exhaust system, risking ignition.
Electrical system failures are another cause of fire, with faulty car batteries holding the potential to produce sparks that can quickly ignite any fluid that may have leaked from cracked pipes.
About 20 per cent of vehicle fires globally are traced back to electrical failure or malfunction.
In the UAE, figures from the Ministry of Interior show there were 965 car fires in 2023, 154 fires recorded in lorries, 96 involving light transportation vehicles and 35 fires involving motorbikes.
There were also a further 23 fires recorded in buses across the country.
Vehicle fluids are corrosive, poisonous and flammable – with petrol igniting quickly if exposed to the smallest spark.
Petrol that reaches a temperature of 257°C will ignite by itself.
Thomas Edelman from Road Safety UAE said bus fires are a particular concern, but changes to fire safety regulations could help reduce their frequency.
“In recent years, the UAE has witnessed a notable number of bus fire incidents, prompting concerns about road safety and the adequacy of emergency response mechanisms,” he said.
“These incidents not only endanger lives but also pose significant challenges to public safety authorities and vehicle manufacturers.
“Understanding the causes and implementing effective fire suppression systems is paramount to mitigating risks and enhancing passenger safety.”
Bus blazes
In 2022, a bus fire in Karachi, Pakistan, killed 17 people, including 12 children, and injured 20 others. An investigation found the fire broke out in the bus’s air-conditioning system, and an emergency exit was not working.
In 2021, the UAE issued a standard for fire suppression systems in the engine compartments of all new buses and coaches.
“Most causes of vehicle fires are from maintenance issues or electrical faults,” said Sam Malins, who is chief executive of Reacton, a firm specialising in vehicle fire safety systems.
“Bus fleets with really good maintenance standards have got a lot lower chance of catching fire.
“Buses have a big problem because they've got just one or two exits.
“With 60 or 70 people on board, that can be a major problem when there is a fire on board, with usually a lot of panic.”
To retrofit a fire suppression system – that detects and extinguishes any small fire at source – vehicle owners would need to spend about Dh6-7,000, according to Mr Malins.
“In the summer, if you've got fans that aren't working properly to cool the engine, you get excessive heat so it shows how important it is to have regular maintenance ahead of summer,” said Mr Malins.
“Most bus operators do a fairly good job of checking them before summer, but then there's still a lot that don’t.”
Although less likely to catch fire than petrol cars, electric vehicles are also at risk due to the high powered batteries on board.
In 2023, the Ministry of Economy temporarily banned imports of Volkswagen electric cars made in China after dozens of vehicles had been bought, before their release by official local distributors.
Although the risk of fire was low, the Volkswagen ID series vehicles had not yet been certified for use in the Gulf region, where summer temperatures can exceed 50C.
Electric cars
Meanwhile in the US, Chevrolet recalled about 110,000 of its Volt EV model years 2017 to 2022 after problems traced to hardware and software risked potential battery fires.
Tashwill Wyngaard, diagnostics technician and EV specialist at Saluki Motorsport, said potential issues can be difficult for the vehicle owner to identify.
“Most electric vehicles are using cooling systems with high tech software and battery management for the thermal protection of the batteries,” he said.
“The best thing owners can do is try to keep the car out of the sun or to park it under cover during the summer.
“It is also helpful to not charge it in the sun and maybe not always charge it to 100 per cent, that way the battery will last longer as well.
“In the extreme heat, as with any chemical reaction, there are always potential downfalls.”
The lithium batteries used by electric vehicles are cooled to between 15-30°C, but when these systems fail during periods of high temperatures, problems can occur.
“The vehicle’s thermal management system is always trying to keep it within that range,” said Mr Wyngaard.
“What generally happens is the cooling system sometimes leak into the batteries, mixing with the chemicals in the battery.
“That will generally cause the battery to ignite, but that is extremely rare.”
This story was first published in August, 2024
