Unsecured propane tank filmed bouncing down B.C. highway

One of the last things you would want to see while driving on a highway would be a propane tank bouncing toward you.

Sydney Hong was driving northbound on the highway near Chemainus on Vancouver Island, B.C., Monday just before noon when she saw a propane tank bouncing along the road.

Her dashcam caught the incident on video.

She told Global News she was scared of what might happen.

“I was scared and thought it was going to blow up, bouncing on the road like that, and then it came towards my car and all I could imagine was it getting stuck under my vehicle and blowing up there,” Hong said.

Luckily the tank did not come into contact with her car.

According to Propane 101, tanks do not explode when “operating under normal circumstances.”

Human error is the primary factor contributing to any type of accident, the website explains.

However, a tank can explode if it is subjected to extreme heat, such as a fire. Or, if the pressure inside the tank grows to a level exceeding that at which the safety relief valve can expel it from the tank, the tank may then rupture, the website explains. If flames or a source of ignition is present, the propane will ignite and it will explode.

1:26 Dramatic video shows crews battling fire involving propane tanks in Strathcona Park

Hong said she shared the video on social media because she wants to remind everyone how important it is to properly secure loads in vehicles.

She said it is also a good reminder of why drivers need to follow the speed limits and keep safe distances from other drivers.

“If everyone had been speeding or following too closely this could have easily ended in a multi-vehicle collision because we had to dodge the propane tank and use our brakes,” she said. “Thankfully everyone on the road appeared to be travelling safely at this time, maybe due to the increased volume of trailers and other vehicles on the road.

“My takeaway is that it is obviously important to secure your items, but I think driving safely is what prevented this from becoming a catastrophe.”