In fact, Americans pump gasoline into their cars an estimated 11 to 12 billion times a year, generally without incident. But static electricity can build up if you re-enter your car and slide across the car seat while filling the gas tank, especially if the air is cool and dry. When you return to remove the nozzle from the gas tank, the static electricity could discharge, potentially igniting gasoline vapors and causing a flash or a small, sustained fire.
Staying Safe
The primary way to avoid static-electricity problems at the gas pump is to stay outside the vehicle while refueling. It may be a temptation to get back in the car for any number of reasons. But the average fill-up takes only two minutes, and staying outside the vehicle will greatly reduce the likelihood of any build-up of static electricity that could be discharged at the nozzle. If you must re-enter your vehicle during refueling, be sure to discharge any static that may have built up before reaching for the nozzle. Static may be safely discharged by touching a metal part of the vehicle, such as the vehicle door, or some other metal surface, away from the nozzle, with a bare hand. If you experience a fire when refueling, leave the nozzle in the fill pipe of the vehicle and back away. Leaving the nozzle in the vehicle will prevent any fire from becoming much more dangerous. Notify the station attendant immediately to shut off all dispensing devices and pumps. If the facility is unattended, use the emergency shutdown button to shut off the pump and use the emergency intercom to summon help. Always put portable gasoline storage containers on the ground to fill them and keep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the container. Never allow children under licensed driving age to operate the pump.
For more information on avoiding potential problems with static electricity build-up at the pump, refueling safety and safe fuel storage and handling guidelines, visit the web sites of the  American Petroleum Institute or the Petroleum Equipment Institute.
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