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Mickey (not verified)    January 13, 2016 - 2:46PM

In reply to by Bill1100 (not verified)

How often do people burn to death in crashes? Or do you still own a Pinto?

Death by fire, in auto crashes, is very rare. It's simply not an issue. And diesel most certainly DOES burn or it wouldn't be of much value. It's not as easy to light, but it will light. And once it gets going it keeps going for a long time.

Diesel fuel tanks can be MORE explosive than gasoline precisely because diesel is less volatile. A gas tank's atmosphere, above the fuel, quickly reaches the point where the mixture is too rich to burn. Diesel fuel's evaporation is so slow that an "explosive mixture" can last MUCH longer. It can even keep pace with the fuel use as you drive, so you have an explosive atmosphere in the tank ALL THE TIME on a long trip. That's why gasoline powered aircraft have sealed fuel systems but jets are continuously vented to the atmosphere. In short: It's harder to ignite spilled diesel fuel, but the tanks can be MORE explosive in some conditions.

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