Do cars explode in real life like they do in movies?

Post by **Winston** » December 23rd, 2010, 8:38 am

I have a question. In movies, cars flip for trivial reasons and then they often explode after flipping over or getting into a collision. But in real life, I've never heard of a car exploding after an accident or collision. So is the way TV portrays that totally fictional?

Even if you dropped a burning match into a car's gas tank, would it explode like in the movies?

Also, just out of curiosity, what would happen if you drove on the freeway at 60mph and then suddenly put the gear into reverse drive? Would that flip the car or suddenly make it go backwards at 60mph? I would never try that of course. Just curious what would happen. Has anyone ever accidentally hit their knee on the gear shift while driving on the freeway and put the car into reverse?

Sorry if these are silly questions. But I've always been curious.

momopi · Post by **momopi** » December 23rd, 2010, 8:51 am

Cars don't explode like the movies, but certain models (old Ford's) were known to spontaneously combust in a collision due to poorly designed fuel tank and ignition system. However, statistically speaking you were far more likely to die from a transmission failure or front-end collision.

globetrotter · Post by **globetrotter** » December 23rd, 2010, 5:13 pm

No they don't.

BUT - cars burn much easier than you can believe.

Never stay in an auto that is on fire and never attempt to drive through fire in a car. The fire (usually a wildfire like in Socal) kills your engine. Then you stall. Then you die.

I learned this living in California. You cannot drive through fire. Bad idea.

The_Adventurer · Post by **The_Adventurer** » December 23rd, 2010, 8:39 pm

Heheh your wording makes it sound like you learned this from personal experience, but I am guessing you're still alive... right?

globetrotter · Post by **globetrotter** » December 23rd, 2010, 9:05 pm

I learn from others...so I am alive.

There were wildfires up in Big Bear in 2004 or so and some idiots did not evacuate.

Grisly photos. Stalled cars with doors open and a body laying face down in the street 20 feet in front of it.

They tried to out run the fire, too late. Car hit the fire, no O2, engine dies, they pop open the door and the thermal radiation killed them in seconds.

Also a video on the web of some idjits on the PCH in 2008 trying to outrun the Malibu fire. They drive up to it and the car goes dead.

Lucky for them they got out and backed off and video'd their vehicle going up in flames.

Cars burn very easily. Not as fast as paper, but not that much slower. Those cushy seats and the panels burn like firewood. They offer no protection in a fire.

You can't run through a bad fire. It's not that you burn up right away or you can't breath, it's that there is so much thermal radiation that the body goes into instant shock and you collapse.

Medic told me that if you get in that unpleasant situation, to breath deeply. This will destroy your lungs fastest, and you will black out before you burn to death.

Nasty, I know...

Post by **Winston** » January 3rd, 2011, 10:16 am

What about houses that burn down in movies over trivial things, such as candles falling over from a gust of wind, or a piece of clothing that was too close to the fireplace, etc? Do whole houses burn down in real life due to such trivial accidents?

globetrotter · Post by **globetrotter** » January 3rd, 2011, 3:47 pm

Winston wrote:What about houses that burn down in movies over trivial things, such as candles falling over from a gust of wind, or a piece of clothing that was too close to the fireplace, etc? Do whole houses burn down in real life due to such trivial accidents?

Of course - - in the USA, Canada and Europe where houses are made of wood and have air spaces between interior walls.

Post by **Winston** » January 8th, 2011, 12:23 pm

What about shooting cans or barrels of gas with bullets? Does that make them explode like in the movies?

What about shooting big rig trucks carrying gasoline or crashing into them? Does that cause them to make huge explosions like they do in the movies?

momopi · Post by **momopi** » January 9th, 2011, 10:55 am

Winston wrote:What about shooting cans or barrels of gas with bullets? Does that make them explode like in the movies?
What about shooting big rig trucks carrying gasoline or crashing into them? Does that cause them to make huge explosions like they do in the movies?

Not usually, but if you used high-explosive incendiary ammunition, it's possible to create >1000 C temperature.

It's more efficient to use FAE (fuel air explosive) or napalm. However military systems are more likely to go boom when hit, because the munitions stored are designed to go boom in the first place. Note the commentary from video here: