The Blaster (also called the "BMW Flamethrower") was a 1998 invention by

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

n inventor Charl Fourie as an car-mounted laterally-firing flamethrower, designed to provide a defence against

carjacking Carjacking is a robbery in which the item taken over is a motor vehicle.Michael Cherbonneau, "Carjacking," in ''Encyclopedia of Social Problems'', Vol. 1 (SAGE, 2008: ed. Vincent N. Parrillo), pp. 110-11. In contrast to car theft, carjacking is ...

s. The Blaster was a liquefied petroleum gas flamethrower installed along the sides of the vehicle under the doors. Should a group of carjackers suddenly attack the vehicle while it is stopped in traffic (the typical scenario), the occupant could flip a switch and direct plumes of flame upward into the facial area of anyone trying to enter the vehicle through the doors or windows. Fourie claimed it was unlikely to kill but would "definitely blind" the assailant. In South Africa, it is legal to use lethal force in

self-defence Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...

if in fear of one's life, and ownership of flamethrowers is unrestricted. The invention came in response to the increasingly severe violent crime situation in South Africa, which in 1998 had already made the country (particularly

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...

) the per capita murder, assault,

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...

and carjacking capital of the world. The device was controversial in South Africa, with some, including the

Automobile Association of South Africa The Automobile Association of South Africa, often abbreviated AA is an automobile association that has been operating in South Africa since 1930. It is a non-profit organisation providing services to its members such as roadside assistance, techn ...

, speculating that the device might cause more carjackers to simply murder drivers with gunfire as a precautionary measure before approaching the vehicle, a tactic which was already fairly common. The device was not banned (as is sometimes reported), but the high price tag at 3,900 rand ($655) limited its market and made it unprofitable. By 2001, only a few hundred had been sold, and the device was taken off the market by Fourie, who instead started marketing a less expensive pocket-sized "personal flamethrower". The Blaster received ample (and often satirical) media coverage from abroad. In particular, it earned its inventor the 1999 Ig Nobel Peace Prize (a parody of the real

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

s).

References

External links

BBC News report
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blaster (Flamethrower) Automotive accessories Flamethrowers South African inventions

See also

References

External links