Just when you think myths have well and truly been busted they have a habit of re-emerging and the process of debunking them starts all over again. Take the hoary old chesnut of mobile phones allegedly causing explosions at petrol stations.

This has been around for more than a decade, however, it re-emerged today in the Sydney Morning Herald, which ran an article “Hot air – separating motoring facts from fiction” .

One of the myths that the newspaper puts to the test is can mobile phones cause explosions at petrol stations. The article quotes AMTA.

The answer is no. This is an urban myth which started in the early 1990s with a series of ongoing media reports fuelled by hoax internet warnings that raised public concern.

The facts are that there is no sound technical basis to claim there is any demonstrated evidence to support the theory that mobile phones can ignite petrol and service stations.

The amount of radio frequency emitted from modern hand-held mobile phones is too low to cause a spark which could ignite petrol fumes. There have been media reports of incidents, however, on further investigation these have been found to be false.

The concern about mobile phone use at petrol stations was based on the belief that there was a risk the battery may become dislodged and cause a spark that could ignite petrol although nobody had any credible evidence to support such a claim.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau undertook a research paper on this issue in 2005 and concluded:

“A review of the literature revealed that between 1993 and 2004 there were 243 reported incidents of fires breaking out at petrol stations around the world. Although the fires were claimed to be caused by exploding mobile phones experts have subsequently revealed that not one of the incidents was associated with telecommunications equipment. Instead, many of the fires were ignited by the discharge of static electricity from the human body.”

The reported included safety tips to minimise the build-up of static charge and strategies to control the effects of static charge from motorists’ bodies. Incidentally, the static electricity generated by friction when the driver gets out of their vehicle can be discharged when the driver touches the metal door on exiting.

A study, published in 2007 by the University of Kent, concluded that it is body static and not mobile phones that cause petrol station fires. The report says:

“Investigations have identified the real cause; body static generated through vehicle re-entry while refuelling. This episode suggests the need for clarity about the precise reasons behind any restriction on the use of a popular device that is already established as a potential, but invariably unconfirmed, health hazard.”

Furthermore, the report says that the pre-emptive ban on mobile phones at petrol stations has resulted in a delay in the identification of the real cause of fires at petrol stations. The report states:

“Among a number of problematic consequences, most ironic has been to distract from the real cause of the increased number of fires at, particularly, American petrol stations.”

The most dangerous thing at petrol stations is petrol. Petrol is highly flammable and should be handled with care. Despite there being no sound scientific basis to prohibit the use of mobile phones at petrol stations or single them out as hazards, AMTA recommends that motorists should always obey warning signs.

When refueling, motorists should keep their mind on the job. This is not because mobile phones pose any danger, but petrol is a hazardous material that demands the full attention of the motorist.

It is unfortunate that these myths get embedded, however, it’s very important that people are safe when filling their cars with petrol and the mobile telecommunications industry supports people not using their mobiles when involved in this activity. However, it is not on the basis that the mobile can somehow lead to a spark and ignition.

It would be better for motorists to know the real reason for not using their mobiles at petrol stations.

AMTA is interviewed on the Sydney Morning Herald website on this issue: