Fuel Security Comes to the Aid of Bikers

TISS Trailer Security Systems has highlighted an additional and important benefit of fuel tank anti-syphon devices. Peter Shakespeare reports.
For some years motorcycling organisations have been campaigning to reduce the amount of diesel fuel spilt on bends and roundabouts by cars and commercial vehicles. This is typified by the British Motorcycle Federation’s “Kill Spills” campaign.
Many people involved in the transport and logistics industry ride motorcycles and should be aware of the potentially lethal combination of cornering on two wheels and a slippery patch of spilt diesel, but trailer security company TISS says research shows that commercial vehicles are responsible for the vast majority of significant diesel spills.
The Blackpool-based company says that often the seals on filler caps become worn or filler caps become dented and damaged with prolonged use. In addition many drivers overfill diesel tanks.
Once on the road the effect is the same. While negotiating the first few corners up to one litre of excess diesel can leak out of the truck’s diesel tank filler cap or the tank overflow and end up on the road. TISS adds that this not only wastes money but it turns road surface into a skidpan. In financial terms one litre of diesel loss this way per truck per day could cost the operator of a fleet of 20 trucks as much as £4000 per year.
But the monetary cost of spilt fuel is insignificant when compared to the danger it poses to motorcyclists. Through a bend a motorcycle becomes unstable and it relies entirely on centrifugal force acting through its suspensions to keep its tyre contact with the road surface.
Compared with cars, most modern motorcycle tyres have incredible levels of grip and can be leant over at speed to angles of over 45 degrees and still maintain adhesion, but in a turn the contact patch on most motorcycle tyres is no bigger than a playing card. When a lubricant destroys the frictional property of the road surface – diesel is most effective – in a turn or under braking, a motorcycle’s tyres will instantly loose grip. The front wheel can slide away from the rider – low side crash – or worse, the rear tyre looses grip for a fraction of a second then still under power the rear wheel instantly regains adhesion. This can twist the bike violently, which normally results in the rider being fired over the handlebars – a high side crash – often into the path of an oncoming vehicle. Even at low speeds in both cases the rider will be injured. When riding a motorcycle, it is often hard to spot a diesel spill until the last second and even harder to take avoiding action when leant over on a tight bend or roundabout.

Anti-syphon devices are fitted into the necks of fuel tanks. TISS says that its design prevents the fuel tank from being overfilled and a ball valve fitted in the neck prevents fuel from sloshing up the neck. It adds that its secure fuel caps provide an excellent seal. The company says it has supplied more than 10,000 units to operators such as Tesco, DHL Exel Logistics and Christian Salvesen. TISS customers J Sainsbury was recently presented with an award by the British Motorcycle Federation to recognise the work it ahs done to prevent diesel spills. So whether you choose to fit an anti-syphon device or insist that drivers do not overfill fuel tanks and maintain their filler caps properly, the result will be the same. Bearing in mind the numbers of bikers there are in the industry, an awareness of the problem of diesel spills could prevent serious injury or death to someone you know or even someone who works for you.

(Published in Roadway, February ’07)

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