Real-Time Fire and Smoke Monitoring in Vehicles through an Automated Safety System

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of electronic systems in modern vehicles has brought significant advancements in safety, yet also introduced new risks, particularly concerning fire hazards. There have been a lot of fire incidents where passengers were unable to evacuate in time due to absence of safety measures. This project presents an innovative Automated Vehicle Safety System designed to enhance passenger safety byautomatically responding to the detection of smoke or fire within the vehicle. The system integrates advanced sensors to detect smoke, fire, and potentially toxic elements, providing early warnings to drivers and passengers. Upon detecting a critical situation, the system swiftly initiates countermeasures. The vehicle\'s battery is automatically cut off to prevent fire propagation. Simultaneously, all car doors are unlocked, and seat belts are ejected to facilitate rapid evacuation. The system\'s performance is evaluated through extensive testing and simulation to optimize its effectiveness in safeguarding lives and minimizing property damage in smoke and fire emergencies

Introduction

Modern vehicles increasingly rely on advanced electronics for performance and comfort, but this also introduces new fire safety risks. Fires can arise from electrical faults, overheating, or fuel leaks, potentially causing fatalities and property loss. Traditional fire protection methods (e.g., extinguishers or alarms) are reactive and often require manual intervention, which may not be effective in emergencies.

To address these issues, this project proposes an Automated Vehicle Safety System that uses real-time monitoring and automated emergency responses to detect and mitigate fire hazards.

Key Features of the Proposed System:

• Early Fire Detection: Uses temperature sensors, smoke detectors, and air quality monitors.

• Automated Responses:

  • Battery cut-off to prevent electrical fire spread

  • Automatic door unlocking

  • Seatbelt ejection

  • Emergency alerts via LCD display

• Controller: An Arduino Nano (or Mega) processes sensor data and coordinates responses.

• Real-time monitoring of vehicle conditions to ensure rapid action without human intervention.

Limitations of Conventional Systems:

• Focus primarily on crash protection, neglecting fire hazards.

• Depend on manual extinguishers or alarms.

• Lack automated evacuation features like door unlocking or seatbelt ejection.

• No automatic battery isolation, increasing fire risks from short circuits.

System Components:

System Operation Workflow:

1. System Initialization: Sensors power up and calibrate.

2. Continuous Monitoring: Sensors track environmental conditions.

3. Data Processing: Arduino detects abnormal readings.

4. Alerts & Responses:

   • Display warning message

   • Automatic braking

   • Unlock doors

   • Eject seatbelts

   • Cut battery power

5. System Shutdown: Concludes after completing all safety steps.

Experimental Results:

• The prototype was tested in simulated conditions.

• Successfully performed quick detection of smoke/fire and automated safety actions.

• Response times were within acceptable limits, ensuring effective passenger protection.

• Proved superior to conventional systems in reducing injury risk and enabling rapid evacuation.

Related Work Highlights:

• Various studies and systems explore fire detection in vehicles using sensors, IoT, and emergency alerts.

• IoT-based systems combine sensors with remote alerts and suppression mechanisms.

• Fire detection in heavy vehicles focuses on engine compartments and driver sleeping areas.

• Sensor networks have been used for predictive fire detection with real-time analysis and response.

Challenges in Current Solutions:

• Late detection after ignition, not before.

• Sensor inaccuracies due to dust, humidity, or vibration.

• High power consumption, especially in electric vehicles.

• Integration with other vehicle systems is complex.

• Security risks with automatic unlocking mechanisms.

• High cost of advanced systems and difficulty in retrofitting older vehicles.

• Lack of standardized global fire safety regulations.

Future Directions:

• AI-driven predictive detection using machine learning to distinguish real threats.

• Smart sensor fusion and IoT for more reliable alerts.

• Nano-fluid fire suppression systems.

• Energy harvesting (e.g., from heat) for power autonomy.

• V2X communication to alert nearby vehicles and emergency services.

• Special focus on EVs and autonomous vehicles, addressing thermal runaway risks.

• Development of global fire safety standards to ensure uniformity across manufacturers.

Conclusion

The Integrated Fire and Smoke Detection with Automated Vehicle Safety System presents a significant advancement in automotive safety, addressing the critical need for rapid and automated responses during fire emergencies. Unlike traditional systems that primarily focus on hazard detection alone, this proposed system seamlessly combines fire detection with proactive safety measures such as automatic braking, door unlocking, and seatbelt ejection. By integrating multi-sensor monitoring, real-time response mechanisms, and efficient communication through the I2C protocol, the system ensures comprehensive safety management within the vehicle environment. The use of Arduino Nano as the core control unit, combined with robust hardware components like DHT11 temperature sensors, smoke detectors, and servo motors, contributes to the system’s reliability and effectiveness. The integration of DC-DC buck converters ensures stable power management, while the LCD display provides continuous updates on environmental conditions and warning alerts, enhancing user awareness and preparedness. Through systematic testing, the system demonstrated the ability to promptly detect hazardous situations and respond with coordinated safety measures, significantly reducing the risk of harm to occupants.Moreover, the implementation of automatic braking in combination with door unlocking and seatbelt ejection introduces a holistic approach to vehicle safety during fire outbreaks. The stepwise execution of these actions minimizes panic and ensures an organized evacuation process. Additionally, the fail-safe mechanism, which reverts to manual control in case of system malfunction, adds an extra layer of security, thereby making the system practical for real-world applications.While the system has proven effective in controlled experiments, further enhancements could involve integrating advanced sensor technologies to increase detection accuracy and reduce response time. Incorporating machine learning algorithms to predict fire hazards based on sensor patterns could also improve early warning capabilities. Overall, the proposed system represents a promising solution to modern vehicle safety challenges, offeringa proactive and automated approach to mitigating fire-related risks.

References

[1] Research papers on fire detection and suppression systems in vehicles: - \"Fire Detection and Suppression Systems for Vehicles\" by J. Liu et al. (2019) - \"Vehicle Fire Safety: A Review\" by Y. Zhang et al. (2020) [2] Industry reports on automotive safety systems: - \"Automotive Safety Systems Market\" by Marketsand Markets (2022) - \"Vehicle Safety Systems: Trends and Forecast\" by Grand View Research (2022) [3] Intelligent Fire Detection and Suppression System for Automobiles (IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 2019) [4] Automated Fire Detection and Response System for Vehicles (IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 2018) [5] Integrated Fire and Smoke Detection System for Automobiles Using Sensor Fusion (IEEE Sensors Journal, 2019) [6] B. G. R. S. Subrahmanyam, P. K. S. V. Kiran Kumar, S. Shikha, & R. S. Jayasree (2022). \"IoT-based Smart Fire Detection System.\" International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology [7] S. S. Choudhary, S. K. Verma, & V. K. Bansal (2022). \"Automated Vehicle Safety System Using Arduino.\" International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering, and Technology. [8] M. H. Ali, M. B. A. Rahman, & M. N. A. Hossain (2021). \"An Overview of Air Quality Monitoring and IoT.\" International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering (IJECE). [9] \"Temperature and Gas Detection System for Vehicle Safety.\" International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development. (2020) [10] Muthumalathi, M., Gayathri, M., Merudulaa, D., &Fathima, J. N. (2022). Vehicle fire detection and prediction system using sensor networks. Galaxy International Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 10(6), 87–91. [11] Yuvaraj, T., Deenathayalan, K., Gokulraj, M., Mahendiran, S., &Mahendran, K. (2022). Design and implementation of car fire detection and automatic car door opening using IoT. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Management (IJAEM), 4(7), 388–392.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Ramola Joy P, Subha P S, Aarsha Arther, Nourin A, Shenaz Fathima S, Abhi Uday. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.