and how's that different when it airbags first came out? omg it's dangerous, we could be hit by these high powered bags!
The fact is that more and more hybrids will be crashing in the future, so we have to start training rescue personnel accordingly. Perhaps the manufacturers could take the initiative in moving the training forward more quickly. Eliminating fear will help build market acceptance (and sales). - Doug
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DougSlug @ May 5 2006, 07:10 PM) [snapback]250576[/snapback]</div> Funny, when the '04 Prius came out, Toyota did just that to help dispell the myths. Looks like they need to provide a refresher course though. This included emergency personel training on where the orange battery cables were (+ and - not adjacent to each other, orange, etc.) and that they were not in the path of typical extraction techniques. There's also a cut-out relay which will dis-engage in the event of a high-speed collision. Alot of the fear is fueled by ignorance, not danger. Keep in mind the battery is giving off DC current which requires contact between both poles. Grounding out only one cable isn't going to yield a risk to anyone. My question is, why didn't the lady depress her parking/emergency brake? Not enough time?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(htmlspinnr @ May 5 2006, 09:03 PM) [snapback]250646[/snapback]</div> That thing is kind of hard to find at night when you need to park on an incline, let alone when your car is speeding out of control and you need to make a split-second decision.
and this is why the battery relays disconnect after an accident... funny they failed to mention that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ May 6 2006, 07:17 AM) [snapback]250714[/snapback]</div> The airbags did deploy (passenger airbag visible in picture), so that definately would have been the case.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(benighted @ May 6 2006, 12:30 AM) [snapback]250669[/snapback]</div> Practice. Use it every time you park, then it won't be hard to find when you really need it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ May 5 2006, 04:44 PM) [snapback]250531[/snapback]</div> I wish I could find it but the pictures appear to be gone. A recent crash of a G1 Prius locally in the PNW into the median strip down a steep embankment. The series of pictures showed the driver extracted in a similar situation. The local emergency response people (apparently better trained) quickly pealed back the roof of the car like a sardine can (poor Prius, may she RIP ) and extracted the driver. Great pictures. Well trained firefighters, great EMTs and a good save!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ May 5 2006, 04:44 PM) [snapback]250531[/snapback]</div> Argh. My sister-in-law (why did you buy a Prius?) lives in Marblehead. I may never hear the end of this one. So it would be good to know whether it was the brakes that failed... or the driver.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Begreen @ May 6 2006, 09:27 PM) [snapback]250978[/snapback]</div> The driver was cited for "negligent operation and failure to stop or yield." I doubt that there was a brake failure, only a lame excuse.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ May 7 2006, 10:01 AM) [snapback]251062[/snapback]</div> Funny how in cases of "the brakes failed" or "the accelerator stuck", the driver is usually an old fart.
The local Toyota dealer where I bought my Prius is one of the largest Prius distributors in the region, and they have been active in training local EMT departments in how to deal with a hybrid car in a wreck (which, as is pointed out in other posts here, is not a major issue and mainly is a matter of overcoming rumors and ignorance.) It might be a good idea for Prius owners to check with their local EMT/rescue departments to ask if their personnel have been trained specifically on hybrid vehicles; and if the answer is no, call their local Toyota dealer or Toyota USA and see if they can do something. I think that there is a greater risk that a driver of a hybrid might suffer needlessly because an untrained rescue person is afraid to extract him from the car, than there is any likelihood that a rescuer would be electrocuted by the car.
Safety was a huge consideration for me when shopping for cars. When someone told me that the Prius would put me at risk due to the extra electricity involved...I flipped out. Being a fire chief's daughter....with an engineering degree, I went and searched for the extrication manual. When I found it, I was pleasantly surprised. The only difference between this and a regular car with regards to extrication is the second disconnect that should be made as a failsafe in case the car's relay turn off fails. My father laughed at me when I told him what I had done. He told me that the Toyota dealer I later bought my car from had been offering classes, and had stopped by to talk to the guys at his station. And...that the Prius was no less safe in an accident than any other car. And you'll note, this story was about a rescue crew being careful because of the increased power....not about a rescuer or passenger being electrocuted by it. I haven't seen the latter story anywhere. Yay for Toyota safety.
driver error...only a small handful of the thousands of "brake failure/stuck accelerator/ popped in or out of gear" accidents were actually the fault of the car.
