FACTS

1. An error when boosting the battery of modern cars can sometimes have dire consequences. At best, you could fry your car’s computer system and at worst, you could cause a battery explosion, leading to serious injury or even death. 
2. Today, when experts give cars a boost, they wear safety googles, safety gloves, and protective overalls. 
3. The risk of explosion is labeled on every automotive battery, though few motorists bother to read such warnings, let alone take them seriously. 
4. Battery acid can severely damage the engine compartment, eating away wires and hoses as well as damaging paint.
5. The danger is that hydrogen will explode if a spark occurs nearby. One source of sparks can be the battery itself.
6. The most common cause of battery explosions upon start-up is dirty battery posts and cables.
7. Improper jump-starting is another leading cause of explosions. The mistake many motorists make is to connect the jumper cables to another car’s good battery and then to the dead battery, a practice that causes sparking.

STATS

• Motorists can be severely injured by a battery explosion. In the United States, a research note by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association estimated that about 442 persons were injured by exploding batteries while attempting a jump-start.
• 134 cases of injuries associated with motor vehicle batteries were obtained from NEISS. Based upon these 134 cases, an estimated 7,051 persons were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries resulting from an activity involving motor vehicle batteries nationwide.
• An estimated 2,280 persons (32% of 7,051 motor vehicle battery injuries) were injured as a direct result of a motor vehicle battery explosion. 
• Thirty-one percent (31%) of the persons injured by battery explosions were charging the battery (702 persons injured).
• More than one-fourth (26%) of the injuries were associated with an activity involving the battery cables (replacing, securing, or tightening).
• An almost equal number of persons were injured as a result of “jump starting” the battery (19%) or checking/adding fluid (19%).
• The majority (62%) of the 2,280 persons estimated to have been injured by motor vehicle battery explosions were diagnosed as having chemical burns.
• Twenty one percent (21%) of the persons injured were diagnosed with lacerations. Almost three-fourths (72%) of those injured suffered an eye.