Hi folks, As a Taxi driver in Dublin,we're subject to quite a lot of rules and regulations,it's come to my attention in the last couple of days that The Commission for Taxi Regulation has as of April made it mandatory for a fire extinguisher to be installed in the rear hatch/boot area of all taxi's..you have no idea how furious i am in relation to this, Apart from the inconvenience this will cause in relation to carrying luggage,i have real concerns in relation to the safety of myself,my wife,children and every passenger that i carry in the event an accident/collision,should this break free from it's mounts and enter the passenger cabin. I've spent all of today and yesterday contacting Toyota Ireland,Insurance Company,Health and Safety Authority[HSA]and also The Commission themselves[no reply from them thus far,no surprise there] I have a safety kit that includes a 2kg extinguisher,high viz vest,first aid kit,warning triangle that we were required to carry as of Jan 09 that i keep in the underfloor cargo space in my 06,but as of April will result as a "failure to comply" if the extinguisher is not in the hatch area secured by brackets, Toyota themselves have said that they don't supply fire extinguishers in any of their vehicles and wouldn't be responsible for any aftermarket accessories..and rightly so!!the rep i spoke to said he would have to inform their homologation dept for further consideration, The HSA[a Govt body]replied to my mail, but to be honest didn't seem that interested,maybe they don't want to question the decisions of another Govt body...The Taxi Regulator Has anyone had any experience with installing such an a appliance in the rear cargo area of their Gen11, Regards.
I haven't any real answers for you other than moral support. I know how Taxi Regulators can be when they can an idea in their heads. It's the same here I presently keep my fire extinguisher in the small cubby hole above the main glove box and surprisingly that complies (at the moment). We also have to carry a first aid kit but legally aren't allowed to use it! Madness eh? We have a number of Vito Taxis in our fleet and they have their fire extinguishers attached to metal brackets under the drivers seat. Not something that would be possible in the Prius. Will you need to buy a new extinguisher that comes with metal brackets? Can you let me know how you work around this problem because I fear the same rules will be coming my way shortly.
Hi GC, I'm not letting this one go,i'm going to get as many bodies..Govt or otherwise involved and also Toyota Ireland..it'll be a slog..i have no doubt,the extinguisher can't be kept in the passenger cabin where it could be possible for passengers to interfere with and can't be kept in the underfloor cargo space so that leaves only one place, Same here with the first aid kit..carry something that you can't use, on anyone else anyhow!! In fairness,Toyota gave me the time of day,if i can get a letter from them saying that they can't,won't recommend the installation of a fire extinguisher in a Prius.it would be a start,they've said as much in my telephone conversation with them.I'll keep you updated.
No experience - but if you are required to mount the fire extinguisher in the cargo area, how about attaching it to the rear seatback, on the side which is smaller? If it is mounted low, hopefully it won't reduce your luggage carrying capacity too much and it would not be easily reachable by a passenger sitting in the back seat.
Thanks for your input Patrick....rules and regulations eh!! I wish Govt bodies would let motor manufacturers and in particular Toyota do what they do best...build good cars,and stop interfering with that process,i believe if Toyota felt the need that their vehicles required fire extinguishers they would incorporate them into the initial design process. Even with all the bad press today i'd still buy a Toyota tomorrow!!
I put mine under the passenger seat in back, near where the rear passenger's feet would be. Have not had any complaints from large passengers (I am not a cabbie).
This is how I carry it - it is fixed with very strong velcro tape. Holds everything in place very firmly.
It's an idea but I don't think it would work. You have got to be so careful that the item isn't let off for a lark or worse, be used as a weapon against you. Whilst in the UK and I assume in Ireland we don't require bullet resistant partitions by law as they do in New York. However, after 2am you have to be careful and not allow anything to be to hand that could be used against you!
I find it difficult to believe that the only or best place to mount a fire extinguisher in a Prius is in the compartment below the rear hatch area. Should some emergency or difficulty involve the 12V system then there would be a chance that you couldn't get to it. On land, fire extinguishers come with simple spring-clip type mounting brackets. All fine and good for a house. However, the clips can't be relied on to hold the extinguisher securely in a moving vehicle, like a car or boat. In the maritime world, hand portable fire extinguishers must be mounted in a bracket that holds it securely, no matter the bumps, shakes, or accelerations. The bracket looks like this: With the bracket, it should be possible to mount an extinguisher perhaps in the passenger foot well where it would be easily accesssable for rapid use. Hope this helps.
How about mounting it to the far left, far back by taking that little cover off .... then mount it vertically there somehow. It would be handy without opening the floor, and it wouldn't impede much luggage.
Like spinkao, I carry mine in the trunk. I have thought about better ways to mount it, been too lazy to make a better mount, but then I haven't had the law breathing down my neck about it. You can fight it all you like, but you should probably comply during the years that you spend wrestling them. If you don't they will keep fining you, maybe force you off the road. Like yourself I don't like the idea of stuff flying around in an accident. There is an ugly but secure mount that I have thought about. You would get a piece of large PVC plastic pipe*, one that is large enough that the extinguisher can slip inside of it. You may need to pad the extinguisher so it won't rattle. Cut the pipe so that just the head of the extinguisher is exposed, glue an end cap on the base, use one of Rokebys straps to secure the top of the extinguisher. The pipe would be solidly bolted to something solid. It would be oriented so it opens either upwards or rearwards relative to the car. Now, even if you have a severe incident, the pipe will take the weight and force of the metal extinguisher. If you need to use it you just open the clip and lift it out. If you are the nervous type you can use two clips. Where to install? Bolt the damn thing to the inside of the roof all the way to the left rear. Have big damn washers around the head of the bolts on either outer side. It'll never be buried under stuff and will survive approximately anything. Dont want it on the roof? Do the same thing, but mount it to the inside of the back hatch. Don't want Frankenstein bolt holes on your car? Open up that little pocket on the left rear corner of the trunk, mount it upright in that space. I think you can run bolts through to the inside of the rear wheel well or undercarriage, you'll never see them in there. Use stainless and threadlocker. Want an even higher level of secure? Don't cut the holder so that the top of the extinguisher is exposed, cut it to cover the whole unit. put a threaded cover on the top, now it is totally enclosed. Paint the pipe red and glue on a fire extinguisher label to keep the authorities happy. *In the states PVC is commonly used for water and sewage lines, widely available, strong, very easy to cut/glue/machine. These people ~ http://www.pipeforce.ie/ ~ are one dealer in your area.
I don't know what good it does in the back where you can't get at it in time when things start flaming up. Mine is loose under the driver's seat, along with flares and maglite.
