Propane is the most commonly used alternative transportation fuel in Canada. In 2006, there were approximately 50,000 – 60,000 vehicles running on propane, and 2,200-2,500 refuelling sites.¹ Throughout the world, there are over 13 million vehicles powered by propane.²

While there have been misconceptions surrounding the safety of propane (or LPG) as a transportation fuel, all transportation fuels have the potential to be dangerous when the proper precautions are not taken. The key to safety is proper use and handling.

One of the Safest Fuels Available!

Some of the characteristics of propane, along with the regulations applied to the equipment, training, and handling, make propane one of the safest transportation fuels compared to many other fuels such as gasoline, diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG).

Propane Safety Facts:

• Propane tanks are 20 times more puncture-resistant than gasoline tanks – which makes them less likely to rupture in an accident
• Propane is non-toxic – it will not contaminate the soil or the surrounding environment 
• Propane is odourized – an odourant called Ethyl Mercaptan is added to propane so that leaks are easily detected 
• Propane is lead-free 
• Propane contains extremely low levels of sulphur 
• Propane has the lowest flammability range of all alternative fuels (2.4 – 9.5%) – so there must be the right combination of propane and oxygen, if there is too much or too little propane it will not burn 
• Propane’s Ignition temperature is approximately 920-1020°F, gasoline’s ignition temperature is 495°F – therefore, gasoline will burn or explode at a much lower temperature than propane

More about propane safety regulations

More about propane safety training

More about propane vehicle safety features

More about the properties of propane

Propane – Safe Enough For:

The Queen of England
Queen Elizabeth II’s royal limousine uses a propane version of Bentley’s 400-hp, twin-turbocharged 6.75-L V8 engine. The propane tank was fitted in the rear of the Bentley, behind the regular gasoline tank, but leaving space for the spare tire and other equipment. A 56 litre propane tank gives the Queen a 160km range – enabling her to visit the provinces while reducing CO2 emissions by 11%.³

The London Police Force
The London, Ontario, Police force began converting their fleet to propane in 1982, and all of the propane vehicles are stored in a heated underground garage that is equipped with special safety devices to detect fuel leaks. Since the conversion program began, the London Police Service has had no safety problems related to the use of propane fuel or equipment. Although the service's patrol vehicles have experienced collisions from all angles and some vehicles have been damaged beyond repair, the propane tanks, fuel lines and other conversion equipment have with-stood the abuse.⁴

Las Vegas
Yellow-Checker-Star Transportation in Las Vegas, Nevada, operates 585 propane-powered taxis that travel 50 million miles per year. Over 2,000 vehicles have been converted to propane since 1981. Since then, over 1 billion miles have been logged by these propane-fuelled taxicabs.⁵ Yellow-Checker-Star has never reported a vehicle accident resulting in a fire with propane.⁶

¹Source: Purvin & Gertz, Propane Market Study 2006
²Source: World LP Gas 2008 Statistical Review of Global LP Gas
³Source: World LP Gas, GAIN, Safety, http://www.worldlpgas.com/gain/whats.php?id=05
⁴Source: NRCan, FleetSmart, Success Stories, FleetSmart Profiles: Cars & Minivans – The London Police Service – London, Ontario http://fleetsmart.nrcan.gc.ca/index.cfm?fuseaction=docs.view&id=cars-minivans-london
⁵Source: PERC, Trade, Propane Fleets, http://www.propanecouncil.org/trade/fleet/propane_fleets.htm
⁶Source: Yellow-Checker-Star, Company Profile, http://www.ycstrans.com/profile.html