Myth

The use of a mobile (cellular) phone while fueling a vehicle is could cause a spark and this could ignite the fuel vapour coming from the tank.

Legend has it that this happened in a fuel station outside London. Following the incident signs have been posted on petrol pumps warning of the use.

Reality

It's a lovely theory ruined by a complete lack of proof. Fuel vapour can only ignite using an ignition source and the fuel to air mix has to be perfect. That and the fact that mobile phones really don't have a perpencity to spark in the first place!

In otherwords, it's complete urban myth.

The UK TV show Brainiac showed the better source of ignition would be to create a static spark by the use of heavy rubber boots in a bucket of water while rubbing yourself wearing manmade fibre clothing. People of Essex beware!

Oddly, at the same time the signs started to be removed from UK petrol stations they started to appear in US fuel stations.

Tags: cellular phone, mobile phone