Fuel filling behind the RHS taillight

[Innuendo]

Why are they being so vigilant?

Well a mobile phone is enough to start an explosion at a petrol station, this has been seen fairly recently in Sydney (a Caltex I think), you dont have to see the spark, the petrol vapour finds it! Same with lead acid batteries, mobile phones are proven ignition sources for explosion.

As far as I know a mobile phone has never been the cause for a fuel fire at any service station. The cause just about always comes back to static electricity. The TV show Mythbusters delved deeply into this on one episode. That's not to say it can't happen, just they couldn't make it happen and couldn't find any proof ever that a mobile phone had been the cause of an ignition.

Here is some reading:
http://www.amta.org.au/pages/Exploding.petrol.stations
http://www.amta.org.au/articles/amta....station.fires
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/cellgas.htm
http://urbanlegends.about.com/librar...-gas-fires.htm

There would be a way of venting the tank well away from the fill point. You could very easily cut all power to the taillight via an automated switch as soon as the taillight is opened.
It is very do-able and if it is your want, you can find a way to do safely. It is a good point about the Number Plate light and the fill point on HQ-WB sedans and Toranas. So the issue cannot be that big a problem.

[wbute]

Nearly all new cars have remote opening fuel doors. They don't seal the doors up though. I suppose you don't want any chance of vapour build up from the fuel cap leaking vapour.