Many people forget or ignore the importance of getting out of the car while refueling, but it is a critical safety practice. Turning off your phone helps prevent sparks from static electricity or hot car parts, which could ignite the highly flammable fuel vapors. It also helps avoid serious accidents—for example, not checking carefully if the attendant has removed the fuel nozzle from the tank before driving off. I've witnessed cases where the hose wasn't broken but the fuel dispenser was pulled and tilted, damaging the filler cap due to the force. When parked correctly at the pump, turn off the engine and get out to check that the nozzle is properly inserted. This is especially important for luxury cars, SUVs, and pickups that use both diesel and gasoline—make sure the correct fuel type is being used to avoid the hassle of cleaning the tank and injectors later.
Main risks to watch out for while refueling.
Static Electricity: Getting in and out of the car can build up static electricity, which may cause small sparks when touching the fuel nozzle. These sparks can ignite fuel vapors.
Engine Heat: A running engine is hot and can ignite fuel vapors, although the chance is small, it remains dangerous.
Wrong Fuel Type: Turning off the engine and visually checking allows you to clearly notice if the attendant is filling the wrong type of fuel.
Fuel Hose Left Attached: Driving off while the hose is still connected can cause the hose to detach and generate sparks.
Using Mobile Phones: Mobile phones can be a source of sparks. Pause phone use briefly and walk around your vehicle to inspect tires and ensure everything is safe, even if lightly loaded.
Leaving the engine running during refueling also harms the surrounding air quality. A running engine continuously emits exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons. These gases cause air pollution and may harm human health and the environment. This is especially important to consider near communities or schools where environmental quality matters.
These simple actions can improve vehicle safety: turn off the engine, get out, check that the correct fuel is being used, and ensure the tires are fine. Stretching a bit during refueling also prepares you for the journey ahead. It doesn't take much time away from social media. Refueling while the engine is running—even a short distance away while burning fuel—is unsafe. Although no serious accidents have occurred in Thailand, such incidents have happened abroad. It's better to be safe than sorry because we can never predict what might happen, even if the chance is very low.