Regulations for Fire Extinguishers in Cars
APAR or short for Lightweight Fire Extinguisher is a device that is now required by the government to be placed inside cars. The regulation for APAR in cars was established by the government since the beginning of 2021.
So what about older cars that do not have APAR inside? The regulation APAR in cars currently only applies to new cars that have just been purchased from dealers. However, it is not impossible that this regulation will eventually be enforced on non-new cars.
Legal Basis for APAR Regulation in Cars
The reason why having APAR in cars is mandatory is due to the frequent occurrence of fires in vehicles. Even small fires, if not addressed or extinguished immediately, can escalate into larger problems. With the presence of APAR in cars, the incidence of car fires can be reduced.
The government has mandated APAR in new cars based on the Regulation of the Director General of Land Transportation number KP 972/ AJ 502/ DRJD/ 2020 regarding Emergency Response Facilities for Motor Vehicles at the beginning of 2020.
Motor vehicles that are required to include APAR are those categorized as M1, N1, N2, N3, O1, O2, O3, and O4 as well as passenger cars or freight vehicles. APAR is provided by importers, manufacturers, or assemblers of vehicles. The APAR produced must meet the established standards and be capable of extinguishing fires on solid, liquid, gas, and electrical installations.
Criteria for Materials for Car APAR
The materials used for APAR must meet the following criteria:
- Have no expiration date. This means it can be used indefinitely.
- Non-toxic.
- Easy to use when needed.
- Located in a position that is easily accessible by the car user.
Considering the criteria above, indirectly, car manufacturers must prepare designs that include space or a place to store APAR inside the car. The location of the APAR must also be easily accessible yet safe, protected from corrosion, and not easily detached from its place.
Recommended Location for APAR
For those who purchase a new car from a manufacturer, it usually comes with an APAR and its location has been determined by the manufacturer. What about cars that are no longer new or those that were previously not subject to the obligation to include APAR? You can purchase APAR yourself by finding a suitable place in your car.
There are various types of APAR available in the market. Some come in sizes of 500 ml, 1,000 ml, or even 3 kg. The recommended location for the APAR depends on the size of the APAR you purchase.
If you buy a small car APAR, such as 500 ml and 1,000 ml, you can place it under the front passenger seat. However, if you purchase the 3 kg size, a comfortable placement for the APAR is in the back of the car. This is to avoid disturbing the passengers sitting.
In addition to the location of the APAR, you should also buy a car APAR holder. The purpose is to keep the APAR in a static condition and not move around while the car is in use. The holder should not only keep it from moving but also be easy to remove when the APAR is needed. Therefore, it is better to buy an APAR that is specifically designed for cars.
Price of Car APAR in the Market
For those who are going to buy a car APAR, there are many brands available in the market. On average, car APAR sold online for the 1 kg size ranges from 100,000 to 200,000 IDR depending on the brand and quality. Quite affordable, right, compared to the significant benefits it provides during a fire/spark in the car.
Author: Iskael
