The Department of Land Transport has intensified the strictness of vehicle inspections for buses and trucks, ordering transport offices nationwide to check six high-risk electrical and battery points aiming to eliminate short circuit causes. This is to prevent vehicle fire accidents.
Mr. Thitiphat Thaichongrak, Director of the Automotive Engineering Office and spokesperson for the Department of Land Transport, revealed that frequent fire accidents involving buses and freight trucks have caused significant loss of life and property. Most of these accidents are caused by electrical short circuits originating from batteries, wiring, and deteriorated or unsafe wiring connections.
The Ministry of Transport, led by Mr. Siripong Angkasukolkiat, Deputy Minister of Transport, has prioritized enhancing the safety of buses and trucks. As the main agency under the ministry, the Department of Land Transport strictly enforces vehicle inspections to meet standards according to the Department's regulations on vehicle inspections by authorized inspectors under the Land Transport Act B.E. 2555 (2012) and its amendments. Moreover, the Department has intensified inspections, especially of electrical systems (batteries, wiring, and connections) to prevent electrical short circuits that cause fires. The Department has instructed and rehearsed all transport offices nationwide to implement electrical system inspections to improve safety as follows.
1. Batteries must be securely and firmly mounted to the vehicle in a well-ventilated position, with insulating materials covering or protecting battery terminals to prevent short circuits. The battery location must not be inside the driver's cabin or passenger compartment.
2. Electrical circuits must have appropriate fuses or circuit breakers (except circuits used for the engine system and grounding wires).
3. Wires must be properly insulated and protected, not exposed or damaged, and their size must be suitable to safely carry electrical current.
4. Wiring installation must be firmly secured. It is prohibited for wires to contact fuel pipes or exhaust system parts and must not be placed where they risk causing danger, such as hanging and touching the ground or subject to abrasion.
5. Wiring connection points must be neat, secure, not loose, and not prone to sparking.
6. For additional electrical equipment installations, such as fans, kettles, or televisions, a separate switch must be installed to control power to the device, and the electrical system of such devices must meet all the aforementioned safety standards.
The Department of Land Transport spokesperson added that the Department believes that proper vehicle inspections in accordance with its regulations will help ensure buses and trucks are safe and ready before operation. Proper vehicle inspections will help improve safety and readiness. Besides ensuring the vehicle and electrical systems are safe, the Department also calls on operators and drivers to strictly comply with safety measures and traffic laws to jointly reduce road accidents sustainably.
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