In comparison to gasoline it eliminates more than 80 percent of the carbon monoxide, one-third of the nitrous oxides and most reactive hydrocarbons. Methane has an octane rating of 130, much higher than even the best quality gasoline. Vehicles using natural gas have a much better safety record than those fueled with gasoline. Studies indicate that in collisions, the injury rate is much lower for natural gas vehicles than gasoline models. This phenomenon is due to the fact that natural gas is safer than gasoline.
Natural gas is stored in a container that survives impact better than gasoline tanks.
Even if the natural gas tank ruptured, the gas would escape harmlessly into the air. Gasoline tanks easily rupture in a collision and the gasoline puddles on the ground, increasing the risk of a fire and injury to passengers. An estimated 172 million Americans are served by the gas industry. In commercial buildings, natural gas can be used for heating, preparing food, hot water, laundries, and increasingly, in commercial air conditioning. Cogeneration, a technology that generates both electricity and usable heat, is of particular interest to many commercial users, including hospitals, schools, office buildings, hotels, apartment houses.