Have you ever gotten in/out of your car and got the crap shocked out of you? Well, the ground strap combats that. I've read (and seen pics) of people filling up their gas tanks and blowing themselves and their cars all to H-E-double hockey sticks with all the built-up static electricity on them.

 

Wow did not know about the gas phenomenon. An extra incentive. The strap also helps reduce dust buildup inside and outside of the car due to static buildup.

 

i did a study on that back in college. it's never been proven that static electricity is the cause of refuelling fires/explosions.

as of right now these are the possible cause Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) is looking into:

Fuel chemistry
Has the chemical composition of gasoline changed in a way that the conductivity of the fuel has also changed?

Finish of the driveway or forecourt
Is the paved surface of the refueling area sufficiently dissipative?

Tires
Tires are being made with less carbon (conductive) and more silica (non-conductive). Does this make a difference?

Electrically insulated conductive components
Are all conductive parts, and in particular all metal parts, in the area of the vehicle’s tank system connected in an electrostatically dissipative manner so that the insulated conductors are not a source of ignition? We hear that this can be a problem even if the vehicle is grounded.

Plastic filler inlets
Today, some fuel tank filler necks are made of non-conductive plastics with a metal trapdoor opening. Some are connected to molded fiberglass fuel tanks. Could refueling transmit a charge to the insulated plastic filler neck that, in turn, might cause a spark to jump to the grounded nozzle?

Customers re-entering their vehicles during refueling
An electrostatic charge is generated through friction between clothing and the car seat to such an extent that electrostatic discharges to the vehicle body or to the filling nozzle are possible, especially if the motorist is wearing rubber-soled shoes.

 

Geek!