Rescue Workers Say Hybrid Cars a Danger

PHILADELPHIA - The growing popularity of hybrid vehicles is a step toward cleaner air and less dependence on gasoline. But for rescuers at accident scenes, they represent a potential new danger: a network of high-voltage circuitry that may require some precise cutting to save a trapped victim.

"You don't want to go crushing anything with hydraulic tools," said Samuel Caroluzzi, an assistant chief with the Norristown Fire Department outside Philadelphia. "It's enough to kill you from what they're telling us in training."

Hybrids draw power from two sources, typically a gas or diesel engine combined with an electric motor. The battery powering the electric motor carries as much as 500 volts, more than 40 times the strength of a standard battery.

That worries those who must cut into cars to rescue people inside.

"If you can't shut it down, you don't know where the high voltage is," said David Dalrymple, an emergency medical technician in New Brunswick, N.J.

The shocking story!

Sounds to me this could be easily solved with an automatic cutoff switch similar to what is used in an airbag to deploy. Accident, bang, power off. I wouldn't let this one keep you from buying one.

Originally posted by newnickname
Sounds to me this could be easily solved with an automatic cutoff switch similar to what is used in an airbag to deploy. Accident, bang, power off. I wouldn't let this one keep you from buying one.

Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. If the accident is bad enough to deploy the airbags, then it would be a good idea to throw in a type of "breaker" where the power gets disconnected from the motors when a signal from the airbag deployment system is sent to it....

"Everybody's concerned about the electrical side, but could you imagine if we tried to bring gasoline out today as a motor fuel?" Peterson said.

Click to expand...

All to true. I have heard read some discussion on how hydrogen powered vehicles have gotton a bad rap from the get-go because of its low flash point. The arguement was that gasoline is actually more of a safety concern than hydrogen because the fumes can linger around the ground, and can ignite long after a comparible amount of hydrogen (assuming these comparible amounts were spilled on the ground).

We should give the hybrids a chance. The news media will jump on any kind of story that involves or could potentially involve death and dismemberment. The manufacturers are giving rescue workers the diagrams to help train these guys where "not to cut".

Off track...but IMO if all vehicles were equipped with rollcages and 5 point harness there would be no need for airbags and all these other safety features. But we have a hard enough time convincing people to wear the current seatbelt design, much less try to get them to pull 5 straps together....its all about conveinence these days....

Originally posted by newnickname
Sounds to me this could be easily solved with an automatic cutoff switch similar to what is used in an airbag to deploy.

Click to expand...

I wish the manufactures would come out with an automatic cut off switch for the airbags or these new hybrid cars. An undeployed airbag are very dangerous for rescue personnel, the only thing they can do is to dissconnect the battery to start denenergize the airbag system. But different cars have different denenergize time, some cars are 10 seconds and others are 30 minutes. So rescue personnel never really know when or if the airbag will ever deploy. Usually steering wheel airbag deploys at 200+ mph and the new side airbags at 300+. Rescue Personnel complained about airbags when they came out because of personnel getting hurt while trying to preform a rescue, but we have got educated about them. Just give us some time to learn about the new hybrids and you'll won't hear to much about it. All it take some time in the classroom and training to learn the details of these cars. I do know that right now in order to disconnect the battery in the hybrid cars, you must use the 2ft rubber gloves, like the linemen from SMECO use. Just because of the voltage that these cars batteries produce.