Container damaged as wheels catch fire

Pule' Carmel

Feb 12th 2011, 14:18

In the days of coloured buses, We had situations in Malta when the Buses which used small brake pads, were used on the Sliema almost flat runs, while those with large brake pads(more expensive) were used on the Mellieha/ St Paul's runs as those with the smaller brake pads has not have enough braking power for the Mellieha downhills.
Some transport vehicles have electricgenerators on the Cardan shaft to pick up energy as the vehicle is going down hill. In this case the braking energy was transformed into heat, and with a loaded trailer, there is a lot of energy dissipated into heat. The other day some cannon balls were found in Floriana and I commented on the heat dissipation when the canons were bored out. They placed them in water as the boring processing generated so much heat. It was Joule who found that Energy cannot be created nor destroyed and found the relation betweeen enrgy used and temperature rise. In electric vehicle instead of dissipating the braking energy into heat , it could be used to recharge the batteries. One reason why electric vehicles are more efficient that Diesel or petrol powered vehicles.

simon cutajar

Feb 11th 2011, 22:26

Is this the resault of highly tested V.R.T test ?

Zaren Abela

Feb 11th 2011, 14:44

Yesterday morning, I happened to be passing by Regional Road - and all of a sudden a strong smell of burnt tyres struck my attention. I quickly noted that this exact container was few cars ahead of me and was driving very slow. When I passed by this container I noticed that one of its rear tyes was punctured - and yet the driver didnt stop driving.

I hope this case will teach a lesson to all those drivers driving heavy vehicles.

JOSEPH MUSCAT

Feb 11th 2011, 10:49

If the authoreties of MALTA wants to know how dangerous are the lorry drivers in MALTA they should spend some time on marfa road [ it tela ta l-ahrax ] and they watch lorries going down hill at 40 or 50 miles an hour across the double lines with a mobile to their ears with some tyres in disgrace. in malta do they have trafic POLICE ON MOTOR BIKES ?

Tonio Bone

Feb 10th 2011, 20:11

The trailer on which this container was loaded is a tandem axle type with twin wheel pairings and steel spring suspension, making it at least 15/20 years old. I don't know if this is the case, but if the 40' container was at full weight capacity, than the tractor/trailers were travelling overweight, which is common practice in Malta.
In any case, with such old equipment on our roads and the lack of preventive maintenance, coupled with non-quality replacement products and consumables, we are quite lucky that we don't have such incidents more often.

Daniel Gordon

Feb 10th 2011, 19:31

Can you imagine what would have happend if the brakes didnt heat up right there, but failed completely going down that hill to the roundabout?
There are always many vehicles, all vying for best position to get around the roundabout, I dont see how a heavy goods vehicle would avoid crashing into them.

The safety standards in this country are poor to say the least.

And Yvonne Galea: you said it yourself, no one else. You are backwards with no manners.

Tony Scicluna

Feb 10th 2011, 19:16

Why do we always have to be defensive?? That is why we will always lag behind. Ms Galea, irrespective of Mr Loveridge's comments (with which I completely agree) the only way we can move forward is by being disciplined, which we are not, and admit it. Most Maltese drivers do not know how to 'drive', they just manouvere the vehicle. Driving means observing regulations. I am fed up of having lorries and container trucks overtaking at 90mph. This is plain stupid. I am fed up of the lack of respect at every roundabout I approach. I am fed up of having to follow a truck or bus with black smog all over my car. I am fed up of the utter stupid uneducated lorry drivers wanting to show how 'cool' (uncool) they are. We have to learn what road safety means> From having road worthy vehicles to having road worthy drivers!! Being defensive will get us nowhere!!!!

E. Azzopardi

Feb 10th 2011, 18:17

These incidents should be prevented and not cured. We are too indisciplined in this country and I firmly believe that the chaos out there exits because the law is not enforced. Very sad but true.
And this being near a petrol station. Let us stop here and make no more comments.

Steve Loveridge

Feb 10th 2011, 17:33

I am sorry guys to have to say this, but the Gozitans and the Maltese have no sence in Safety Rules, they only rectify a problem after a fatal accident or an injury, i seen them on building sights and also construction work's signs are non existent, i think really Brussels should lay down the law andf the Maltese would have to abide by the rules or suffer YET another infringment in Health and Safety, including your local drivers, they just haven't got a clue, sorry but it happens to be true, we all talk about safety regulations in Malta back home and thats one reason whu we shall never return.

Phil Press

Feb 10th 2011, 16:39

"probably as the brakes were applied.". So there where brakes then ?. I thought it was just a horn, lorries were equipped with.

Joseph Vassallo

Feb 10th 2011, 15:37

ermmm! Did anyone see a number plate?

Joseph Vassallo

Feb 10th 2011, 15:33

This speaks volumes on the state of repair this trailer was in when driven out of its depot. The brakes are obviously faulty but the driver didn't realise that his vehicle was being held back, not by the weight of its cargo but by the trailer's faulty brakes. Friction heat did the rest.

On Monday there was a long line of black rubber marking the road from Mriehel to Fleur-de-Lys but no fire on that occasion. Sadly some of these trailers are left idle for long periods of time, often near the seaport where the salty atmosphere corrodes and plays havoc with their brakes. Drivers are often not capable of identifying faults before departure. Skimping on brake maintenance of such vehicles can be seriously dangerous because, if they do not work, the trailer and cargo rely on the brakes of the towing vehicle to stop in any (emergency) situation. Rather like trying to stop a tanker at sea.

Joseph Stafrace

Feb 10th 2011, 14:12

@ J. Pace.
No need for the authorities to issue strict regulations regarding fire extinguishers. According to the highway code all heavy vehicles must have a functional fire extinguisher, they only have to enforce it; which sadly they rarely do.
Only last week I saw drivers of loaded trucks with empty gas cylinders coming out of the Gozo ferry being handed fire extinguishers from other drivers who were boarding the ferry with similar yet full gas cylinders. From the look of things it seems that the Police and Transport Malta in Gozo are only on the lookout for Maltese drivers !
!

Albert Bezzina

Feb 10th 2011, 13:37

Ps... Stopped just 50 meters from a petrol station!

Albert Bezzina

Feb 10th 2011, 13:34

I have commented about the risks of a tunnel fire erupting in a long tunnel like that being proposed (Malta - Gozo) tunnel. This incident demonstrates that a fire can break out without warning. The plausible restrictions on what vehicles could use the tunnel or not would be enforced with the effectivness of the enforcement of the rules governing the storing and transport of pyrotechnic material.

Ganni Ellul

Feb 10th 2011, 13:06

M.Demicoli, I ask a different question , should we have had a real serious authority here in Malta one would ask the following
Was the container destined for overseas? if not was it overloaded over and above the limit that we should have for the safety of our roads and thier users? Some containers from Gozo are used to ship goods to Malta and these are heavily over loaded

J Pace

Feb 10th 2011, 12:58

This is the second incident involving fire to a heavy vehicle and for which the
driver had to wait for the CPD to put out the fire.

I believe it's about time that the relative authority issues strict regulations
that all heavy vehicles should be fitted with a fire extinguisher.

Mike Farrugia

Feb 10th 2011, 12:41

Since when has it become legal for commercial vehicles to be utilised on holidays?

M.Demicoli

Feb 10th 2011, 12:31

Where is safety??? Firefighters inhaling those toxic fumes out of burned rubber, without a closed circuit ventilation system??