Any
Hazards To Driving a Hybrid Car?
by SolveYourProblem.com
With
all of the talk of hybrid vehicles many people are singing
their praises about these lightweight, fuel-efficient cars.
But are there hazards to driving a hybrid? Is there really
anything to worry about? Let’s take a closer look at potential
hybrid hazards.
One
of the biggest concerns often talked about when it comes
to hybrid vehicles has to do with those personnel responding
to accidents involving a hybrid. Many traditional looking cars
such as the Honda Accord and Ford Escape are being built with
hybrid engines and rescuers might experience some difficulty
at the scene of an accident identifying one as such. The reason
the identification is crucial is that as compared to conventional
gas powered cars, hybrid vehicles have a tremendous
amount of electricity coursing through them and thus could
cause injury
to rescuers and further injury to drivers already hurt by the
crash. Many people believe that the solution to this problem
is for automakers to affix a label on the driver’s side visor
stating that it is a hybrid vehicle, equip with all the features
that this kind of car entails.
New hybrids are bursting onto the market at an increasing
rate and therefore all first responders (including the police,
fire department and paramedics) need to be taught about ways
in which hybrid cars differ from more traditional non-hybrid
models. Lack of education could result in safety measures being
compromised and injuries (life threatening or otherwise) taking
place. To use the battery in a hybrid to illustrate the point,
in some hybrid models the battery carries with it a charge
of up to 500 volts and is powered both by gasoline and electricity.
Compare this with the voltage of a typical non-hybrid car,
which is in the area of 12 volts. First responders
need to be taught where the battery is located in a hybrid
car and
how to cut the cables without risking being electrocuted by
the high voltage that the battery puts out. This is particularly
important when machinery such as the Jaws of Life is required
to physically remove a passenger in imminent danger from a
car. It cannot be emphasized enough, without proper training,
more serious injury, and even death, could result.
This problem is being addressed by manufacturers of hybrids
with Honda and Toyota going to the front of the line on safety
procedures. Hybrid cars are being suited with color
codes so first responders can easily comprehend the flow of
electricity
in the car. Honda hybrids use the color bright orange to designate
the high-voltage power line which helps reduce safety risks
for rescuers responding to calls.
Concerns about hybrid hazards have led Honda and Toyota to create
their own individual safety guides for rescue personnel. Every fire department in the United States received a copy
of these guides to be made available for their staff to educate
themselves. Toyota has just completed new guides for its latest
hybrid vehicles, the Highlander and Lexus. These guides can
easily be read online by any member of the public, whether
they are emergency workers or not.
In South Florida, with its many canals, many people have expressed
concerns about the hybrid hazards involved in water
submersion,
as these kinds of accidents are common in this area of the
state. Manufacturers of hybrid vehicles say that the only thing
emergency personnel need to keep in mind in regard to safety
issues is to remember to make sure the car’s ignition is turned
off once it is out of the water.
Speaking of the car being turned off, that is another issue
for hot debate when it comes to talk of hybrid hazards. Hybrid
cars are made differently than traditional gas powered vehicles
in that it is not always easy to tell if they are off or still
running. Most traditional cars one need only feel the hood
of the car to make a correct determination but hybrids can
be tricky- a hybrid can appear to be turned off when
in actual fact it is in silent electric mode and very able to plow over
an unsuspecting person if any movement or pressure is applied
to the accelerator. One possible solution to this serious hazard
put forth by the fire department in Texas is to place chocks
under the wheels if it is not known whether the car’s ignition
is still on or not.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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