Ask the Mechanic: Can a phone cause a fire while refuelling?

Is it realy dangerous to use your phone while refueling?
Jane Rose
Hello Jane Rose, it is widely considered dangerous to use your mobile phone while refuelling your car. It is believed that electrical components in mobile phones pose an ignition risk or fire hazard. Mobile phones can generate static electricity, which could cause sparks whenever you call or receive calls. These sparks can ignite the fuel vapour, which tends to linger around the car during refuelling.
Using a mobile phone during refuelling is likely to distract you and pose a risk of failure to follow safety guidelines displayed by fuel dealers at the forecourts or fuel pumps, such as no smoking, switching off the engine during refuelling, and not taking or making calls. Any of these prohibited actions can cause fuel spills or accidental ignition of fuel fumes.
There are also other dangers posed by phone distraction, such as causing accidents by knocking pumps, their attendants, or other cars in the queue for fuel, driving away during refuelling, or even failing to tell the pump attendant the correct fuel to fill your tank with.
It should be mentioned that there are scientists and myth busters who have challenged, with statistics and experiments, the danger and likelihood of mobile phone usage causing fires during refuelling. Nevertheless, the leading fuel or energy industry players and health or safety monitoring institutions strongly recommend following the best practices and guidelines provided, which include switching off mobile phones during refuelling.
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WHAT CAUSES VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING?
Why do my brakes vibrate when I am stopping?
Victoria
Hello Victoria, vibrating brakes are quite unsettling and can compromise your safety on the road. This vibration is commonly caused by warped brake disc rotors or unevenly worn-out brake pads. With time, the brake disc rotors and brake pads succumb to the heat and stress associated with braking. The disc rotors may become warped and develop ridges or uneven surfaces. This will cause vibration when you apply the brakes. Unevenly or extremely worn-out brake pads will also cause a juddering or pulsating sensation when you apply the brakes.
Damaged or sticking brake callipers can cause brake vibration due to uneven brake pressure at the different wheels. Additionally, vibration while braking may be caused by worn-out suspension bushes and ball joints. These components help secure suspension parts and facilitate suspension performance, so when they fail, they lead to alignment and stability issues that result in vibration when braking.
It is important to have your car inspected by a mechanic to identify the cause of the vibration when braking, as it is likely to be one of these components
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