Final answer:
Vehicle fires pose significant risks, including extreme physical danger and uncertainty about the fire's severity. The NFPA hazard diamond helps assess dangers of vehicle fluids in a fire, while crumple zones in cars reduce injury by increasing impact time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hazards of vehicle fires are multifaceted, and the potential risks are grave. When facing a vehicle fire, there is always uncertainty over whether it will be a serious fire or a minor hazard. Moreover, vehicle fires often present the potential for extreme physical danger to the occupants of the vehicle and to first responders due to the flammable materials present in cars, such as gasoline and upholstery.
Understanding the risks and prevention methods is key to reducing injuries and fatalities from vehicle fires. To illustrate, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) uses a hazard diamond to succinctly outline the major hazards of any chemical substance, which can be invaluable in assessing the danger and properties of vehicle fluids in the event of a fire.
A car with parts designed to crumple on impact, known as crumple zones, is another safety feature that mitigates injury. These are engineered to reduce injury to passengers by absorbing and distributing the force of a collision, effectively increasing the time of impact and reducing the chance of injury.