Guest guest Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Doc- The dangers presented by the hybrid cars are no more or less severe than those presented by the current generation passive restraints (front and rear seat airbags, side guard airbags, explosive seatbelt tensioners etc) and the old stand-bys, such as many gallons of highly voatile liquid fuels hydraulic fluids and lubicants, battery electrolytes, gas charged bumper impact dampers, hood, trunk and glass gas-lifts, nitrogen charged shocks and steering dampers, sharp metal fragments, busted glass....etc...etc....etc... They are mearly new additions to the hazard strewn landscape of the MVA. The prudent reponder arms him or herself with knowledge, training and practice, before considering responding to the modern MVA. Be careful out there...... Terry Dinerman Oh YEAH.....Don't forget to look out for the FIRE ANTS!!! TD " ....it is far better to dare MIGHTY things! To win glorious triumphs, though checkered by failures, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much, nor suffer much, for they live in that grey twilight that knows neither VICTORY nor DEFEAT. " Theodore Roosevelt Hybrid Cars > > > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/brand/SIG=br2v03/*http://www.ap.org> > > > Rescue Workers Say Hybrid Cars a Danger > > > Tue May 4, 3:04 AM ET > Add > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/addtomy/*http://edit.my.yahoo.com/config/s > et_news?.add=aprb & .src=yn & .done=http%3a//news.yahoo.com/%3ftmpl=story%26u=/a > p/20040504/ap_on_bi_ge/hybrid_car_rescues_1> Business - AP to My Yahoo! > > By PATRICK WALTERS, Associated Press Writer > > > PHILADELPHIA - The growing popularity of hybrid vehicles is a step toward > cleaner air and less dependance 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 > 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 > Dalrymple, an emergency medical technician in New Brunswick, N.J. > > > > Manufacturers have put in place a laundry list of safety checks that the > car's computer must go through for the electrical system to run. They've > published guides showing where the electric components are on their models; > on the Toyota Prius and other hybrids, the high-power cables are colored > bright orange to catch the eye of a rescue worker or a mechanic. > > > > But there are concerns over what happens if something goes wrong and the > battery, ignition and other points are inaccessible. > > > > " It's the 'what-if' that worries me, " said Castiaux, an instructor for > Mid-Del Technology Center in Del City, Okla., who teaches rescue workers > about hybrids. > > > > , a service training instructor for Toyota, said the Prius' > electric system should shut down if anything goes wrong. " There should not > be high voltage in those cables, but I'm not going to stand up and say there > isn't, " he said. > > > > First responders are taught to disconnect the battery and turn off the key > immediately before cutting into a car, but that's not always possible. > > > > " Years ago you could just cut with your extrication tools through a post, > but now you have to look before you cut, " said Ken Nelsen, chief of the > Iselin Fire Department District 11 in Woodbridge Township, N.J. " It's just > another thing you need to worry about. " > > > > When air bags started becoming more common in the 1980s, rescue workers > became aware of their potential to seriously injure or kill when inflated. > Those concerns have been heightened now that the safety devices are being > installed in side panels, seats and other areas. > > > > Concerns about hybrids are increasing in large part because of their growing > popularity. Sales have risen at an average annual rate of 88.6 percent since > 2000 and recent figures show the number of Americans driving them jumped > more than 25 percent from 2002 to 2003. > > > > The Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius are common now and more are on the > way: hybrid versions of the Ford Escape, Honda Accord and Lexus SUV this > year, and a Toyota Highlander in 2005. > > > > The Alachua County Fire Rescue in Gainesville, Fla., even has two hybrids of > its own. Although its crews haven't had to deal with a hybrid crash, they've > been getting versed on what to do when it happens, said Cliff Chapman, > assistant chief. > > > > They know not to cut into a hybrid's doors - that's where many of the cables > are - and to peel off the roof instead. They also now operate under the > assumption that a car is energized, wearing rubber gloves and boots. > > > > Manufacturers say they will continue to keep rescue personnel up to date on > their hybrids. But they also contend that hybrids can be seen as safer than > regular cars. > > > > > > > > " Everybody's concerned about the electrical side, but could you imagine if > we tried to bring gasoline out today as a motor fuel? " said. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Doc- The dangers presented by the hybrid cars are no more or less severe than those presented by the current generation passive restraints (front and rear seat airbags, side guard airbags, explosive seatbelt tensioners etc) and the old stand-bys, such as many gallons of highly voatile liquid fuels hydraulic fluids and lubicants, battery electrolytes, gas charged bumper impact dampers, hood, trunk and glass gas-lifts, nitrogen charged shocks and steering dampers, sharp metal fragments, busted glass....etc...etc....etc... They are mearly new additions to the hazard strewn landscape of the MVA. The prudent reponder arms him or herself with knowledge, training and practice, before considering responding to the modern MVA. Be careful out there...... Terry Dinerman Oh YEAH.....Don't forget to look out for the FIRE ANTS!!! TD " ....it is far better to dare MIGHTY things! To win glorious triumphs, though checkered by failures, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much, nor suffer much, for they live in that grey twilight that knows neither VICTORY nor DEFEAT. " Theodore Roosevelt Hybrid Cars > > > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/brand/SIG=br2v03/*http://www.ap.org> > > > Rescue Workers Say Hybrid Cars a Danger > > > Tue May 4, 3:04 AM ET > Add > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/addtomy/*http://edit.my.yahoo.com/config/s > et_news?.add=aprb & .src=yn & .done=http%3a//news.yahoo.com/%3ftmpl=story%26u=/a > p/20040504/ap_on_bi_ge/hybrid_car_rescues_1> Business - AP to My Yahoo! > > By PATRICK WALTERS, Associated Press Writer > > > PHILADELPHIA - The growing popularity of hybrid vehicles is a step toward > cleaner air and less dependance 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 > 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 > Dalrymple, an emergency medical technician in New Brunswick, N.J. > > > > Manufacturers have put in place a laundry list of safety checks that the > car's computer must go through for the electrical system to run. They've > published guides showing where the electric components are on their models; > on the Toyota Prius and other hybrids, the high-power cables are colored > bright orange to catch the eye of a rescue worker or a mechanic. > > > > But there are concerns over what happens if something goes wrong and the > battery, ignition and other points are inaccessible. > > > > " It's the 'what-if' that worries me, " said Castiaux, an instructor for > Mid-Del Technology Center in Del City, Okla., who teaches rescue workers > about hybrids. > > > > , a service training instructor for Toyota, said the Prius' > electric system should shut down if anything goes wrong. " There should not > be high voltage in those cables, but I'm not going to stand up and say there > isn't, " he said. > > > > First responders are taught to disconnect the battery and turn off the key > immediately before cutting into a car, but that's not always possible. > > > > " Years ago you could just cut with your extrication tools through a post, > but now you have to look before you cut, " said Ken Nelsen, chief of the > Iselin Fire Department District 11 in Woodbridge Township, N.J. " It's just > another thing you need to worry about. " > > > > When air bags started becoming more common in the 1980s, rescue workers > became aware of their potential to seriously injure or kill when inflated. > Those concerns have been heightened now that the safety devices are being > installed in side panels, seats and other areas. > > > > Concerns about hybrids are increasing in large part because of their growing > popularity. Sales have risen at an average annual rate of 88.6 percent since > 2000 and recent figures show the number of Americans driving them jumped > more than 25 percent from 2002 to 2003. > > > > The Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius are common now and more are on the > way: hybrid versions of the Ford Escape, Honda Accord and Lexus SUV this > year, and a Toyota Highlander in 2005. > > > > The Alachua County Fire Rescue in Gainesville, Fla., even has two hybrids of > its own. Although its crews haven't had to deal with a hybrid crash, they've > been getting versed on what to do when it happens, said Cliff Chapman, > assistant chief. > > > > They know not to cut into a hybrid's doors - that's where many of the cables > are - and to peel off the roof instead. They also now operate under the > assumption that a car is energized, wearing rubber gloves and boots. > > > > Manufacturers say they will continue to keep rescue personnel up to date on > their hybrids. But they also contend that hybrids can be seen as safer than > regular cars. > > > > > > > > " Everybody's concerned about the electrical side, but could you imagine if > we tried to bring gasoline out today as a motor fuel? " said. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Well don't get in a collision. On Tuesday, May 4, 2004, at 12:12 US/Central, Bledsoe composed: > >      > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/brand/SIG=br2v03/*http:// > www.ap.org> > > > Rescue Workers Say Hybrid Cars a Danger > > > Tue May 4, 3:04 AM ET >      Add > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/addtomy/*http://edit.my.yahoo.com/ > config/s > et_news?.add=aprb & .src=yn & .done=http%3a//news.yahoo.com/ > %3ftmpl=story%26u=/a > p/20040504/ap_on_bi_ge/hybrid_car_rescues_1> Business - AP to My > Yahoo!     > > By PATRICK WALTERS, Associated Press Writer > > > PHILADELPHIA - The growing popularity of hybrid vehicles is a step > toward > cleaner air and less dependance 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 > > 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 > Dalrymple, an emergency medical technician in New Brunswick, N.J. > > > > Manufacturers have put in place a laundry list of safety checks that > the > car's computer must go through for the electrical system to run. > They've > published guides showing where the electric components are on their > models; > on the Toyota Prius and other hybrids, the high-power cables are > colored > bright orange to catch the eye of a rescue worker or a mechanic. > > > > But there are concerns over what happens if something goes wrong and > the > battery, ignition and other points are inaccessible. > > > > " It's the 'what-if' that worries me, " said Castiaux, an > instructor for > Mid-Del Technology Center in Del City, Okla., who teaches rescue > workers > about hybrids. > > > > , a service training instructor for Toyota, said the > Prius' > electric system should shut down if anything goes wrong. " There should > not > be high voltage in those cables, but I'm not going to stand up and say > there > isn't, " he said. > > > > First responders are taught to disconnect the battery and turn off the > key > immediately before cutting into a car, but that's not always possible. > > > > " Years ago you could just cut with your extrication tools through a > post, > but now you have to look before you cut, " said Ken Nelsen, chief of the > Iselin Fire Department District 11 in Woodbridge Township, N.J. " It's > just > another thing you need to worry about. " > > > > When air bags started becoming more common in the 1980s, rescue workers > became aware of their potential to seriously injure or kill when > inflated. > Those concerns have been heightened now that the safety devices are > being > installed in side panels, seats and other areas. > > > > Concerns about hybrids are increasing in large part because of their > growing > popularity. Sales have risen at an average annual rate of 88.6 percent > since > 2000 and recent figures show the number of Americans driving them > jumped > more than 25 percent from 2002 to 2003. > > > > The Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius are common now and more are on > the > way: hybrid versions of the Ford Escape, Honda Accord and Lexus SUV > this > year, and a Toyota Highlander in 2005. > > > > The Alachua County Fire Rescue in Gainesville, Fla., even has two > hybrids of > its own. Although its crews haven't had to deal with a hybrid crash, > they've > been getting versed on what to do when it happens, said Cliff Chapman, > assistant chief. > > > > They know not to cut into a hybrid's doors - that's where many of the > cables > are - and to peel off the roof instead. They also now operate under the > assumption that a car is energized, wearing rubber gloves and boots. > > > > Manufacturers say they will continue to keep rescue personnel up to > date on > their hybrids. But they also contend that hybrids can be seen as safer > than > regular cars. > > > >           > > > > " Everybody's concerned about the electrical side, but could you > imagine if > we tried to bring gasoline out today as a motor fuel? " said. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Easier said than done. Very few people, if any, purposely get in a collision. haha. -Matt Kuhl " Rev. Farrell " wrote: Well don't get in a collision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 This whole hybrid car thing had me confused until today when I saw a Volvo mate with a Hoover Upright. The whole thing is clear now. BEB Re: Hybrid Cars Easier said than done. Very few people, if any, purposely get in a collision. haha. -Matt Kuhl " Rev. Farrell " wrote: Well don't get in a collision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.