1. Be aware of your clothing. Synthetic materials, such as most modern fleeces, increase the risk of static shock.

2. Shoes are also important. For example, beach shoes with foam soles are more or less guaranteed to shock you.

3. When you exit the car, grip the metal frame of the door for a couple of seconds before you let your feet touch the ground. The static charge is balanced when you're still seated, when you get up the charge of your clothing doesn't have the opposite charge to hold it where it is. Having your hand on the car frame when get up lets it discharge more slowly. All you need to know is that it works.

4. Open your door while still sitting in your car seat, reach up and rest your hand on the (outside) roof of the car before you slide/step out.

TIPS:
* Touch the glass as you exit, this will discharge any electricity as well with no shock!
* Use an anti-static laundry spray on your car's seats and floor.
* Hold a key in your hand and touch the metal door frame as you exit. It acts as a lightning rod and discharges the static without pain.
* Here's a simple technique: tap the door with your knuckle as you exit. Your knuckle is much less sensitive than your fingertip and you won't feel the zap.
* Tap the door with your forearm or elbow. You will feel the shock but it will be much less painful.
* If it is a real problem for you, connect a small chain from the frame of the vehicle to the ground. This will put the car at the same potential as the ground and you will not get shocked. However, the chain will drag as you drive, and may throw sparks, so use caution on positioning it.

Warnings!
* This is actually a safety tip, as static electricity, if not discharged, has actually caused small explosions at gas pumps. You should never re-enter your car while gassing up, as this can provide more static electricity. If you must, make sure you follow the directions above to discharge the electricity before you get anywhere near the fuel pump!

Cold, static electricity pose refueling danger. (Auto Weekend)

The American Petroleum Institute offers the following consumer advisory and safety guidelines on vehicle refueling to help consumers avoid potential problems with refueling and static electricity.

One of many possible causes of static electricity buildup is reentering your vehicle during refueling, particularly in cool or cold and dry climate conditions. This can cause a buildup of static electricity similar to shuffling your feet on the carpet when the air in your home is dry.

If you return from your vehicle's interior to remove the filling nozzle without discharging the static buildup, in rare circumstances a brief flash fire could occur at the filling point if the static discharges and the resulting spark ignites gasoline vapors around the fill spout.

A simple precaution to help avoid this potential problem is to stay near the vehicle's fueling point. Do not get back into your vehicle during refueling - even when using the nozzle's out...

Static Electricity Case Settles for $4.4 Million; Settlement Secured by Las Vegas Law Firm, Dixon & Truman.

LAS VEGAS -- An outcome celebrated by public safety advocates: the defendants -- a major oil company, gasoline retailer and bed liner manufacturer -- were teamed against a regular Austin, Nevada citizen. If only every citizen could know what the defendants knew, and what the plaintiff learned the hard way.

On a February afternoon in 1999, James Reiland drove his pick-up truck to the neighborhood gas station to refill his portable metal gas cans. He was completely unaware of the extreme danger posed by his truck's bed liner. As he filled the gas can, static electricity generated by gas flow through the hose and nozzle, built-up around the can, which was insulated by the plastic bed liner. The build-up of static charge on the gas can grew so large that it jumped back to the nozzle, igniting the gasoline fumes, followed by the gas can. In trying to fight the fire, gas spilled on Reiland and he caught fire while his wife looked on in horror.
Birmingham-Area Gas Stations Post Warning Signs

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- It's a common thing to do -- sit in the car while filling up at the gas station. But it could be a dangerous mistake.

Static electricity, caused by sitting in the car while pumping gas, can spark a fire at the gas pump.

Experts say you have a better chance of winning the lottery than being involved in a static electricity fire at the pump, but the fires do happen.

People have experienced the frightening phenomenon in Texas, Oklahoma and Mississippi.

"The nozzle came flying out the truck. It was like a torch," said Chrissy Villavaso. "I ran into the gas station and I started screaming, 'I'm on fire. I'm on fire.'"

Villavaso unwittingly started the fire with her own hands.

"When I went down to reach for the nozzle, that's when I felt the heat," said Villavaso.

The source of fire was static electricity.

Villavaso said she is glad her baby wasn't inside her car when the vehicle caught fire at a gas station in Starkville, Miss.

"By the time I got to the door of the gas station, my car was completely on fire," Villavaso said. The Starkville Fire Department believes Villavaso is one of three people involved in static-electricity fires in the city.

Trapped between a burning pump and her car door, Villavaso had to climb to safety.

"So I just kind of put my hand on the car windshield and kind of propped myself over the door," Villavaso said. Firefighters Battle Gas Pump Fire

Experts know of at least 150 cases of gas pump fires caused by static electricity. Villavaso's case is rare because it happened in August. Most of the fires happen in the winter, when the conditions are ripe for static electricity.

A national campaign is being launched to warn drivers about the dangers.

The Alabama fire marshal's office doesn't have any static fires on record in Alabama, but gas stations in the Birmingham area are getting the message and posting warnings.

NBC13 found one sign at a busy Chevron on Highway 280. The signs tell people to touch metal while pumping gas and never get back inside your car while filling up.

When drivers sit, they generate static electricity. If they don't touch anything, they can transfer static electricity to the nozzle.

"They move around in the seat. They come back out of the car and don't touch the side of the car. They don't shut the door or they would have discharged the static electricity," said Bob Renkes, of the Petroleum Equipment Institute in Tulsa, Okla.

Gas Pump FireThe Petroleum Equipment Institute released data that showed 78 percent of victims at the pump are women.

Villavaso said she hopes people will take her advice.

"I never get back in my car or use the automatic trigger," she said.

Renkes said the Petroleum Equipment Institute collected and released its data for an important reason.

"We don't want people to get hurt. Pure and simple," Renkes said.

Renkes said when you get out of your car, be sure to touch metal to ground yourself.

The Petroleum Institute said 94 percent of the victims were wearing rubber sole shoes. Rubber acts as an insulator and can keep you from dissipating static electricity. So once you get to the pump, ground yourself and touch the car before picking up the nozzle.

Dangers Of Car Refueling Restated

There still is a danger of flash fires during self-service car and truck refueling. Many modern-day drivers aren't old enough to remember a time when states resisted allowing motorists to pump their own gas for fear of fires or other accidents.

The latest issue of Popular Mechanics restates the concern about refueling, particularly the chance of fires ignited by static electricity. Tragically, the greater number of accidents involve female drivers. This could be because of the increased risk of static electricity being generated by women's clothing.

The publication says some basic rules that must be observed are:

* Make sure your engine is turned off before starting to refuel.
* Never smoke during refueling.
* To not transmit on your cell phone or two-way radio during the operation.
* Remove your wallet from your pants pocket before fueling. Sparks can be generated between clothing and wallet covers, particularly when plastics are involved.
* Make sure you touch the metal of the nozzle to the metal of the vehicle frame before starting to pump gas.
* If you re-enter the vehicle during refueling then get out, possibly causing fabric-on-car seat-generated static electrify to build up, make sure you quickly ground yourself on the door frame or other car metal before going near the fuel intake.

And remember, if you see anyone near you smoking or with their engine on don't be timid about reminding them.

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