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Firefighters Train on How to Deal With Hybrid Car Crashes
Posted: Dec 31, 2012 4:20 PM by Caroline Flores - cflores@kristv.com
Updated: Dec 31, 2012 6:36 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - Driving around town you will probably see a few hybrid cars on the road. They are becoming more and more popular. While most people love the idea of being able to save tons of money on gas, they don't realize these cars can be dangerous.
To be able to be so energy efficient they are built a little different than normal cars. So if you get in an accident and maybe need help from firefighters on the scene, they have to be extra cautious when getting into your car.
"We are more aware of the electrical component than we are in a normal vehicle. Because you can take the battery off a normal car and everything... You basically shut down the electrical system. But with a hybrid there's still a lot of stored energy," said first responder Scott Marsh.
Because of all that energy, if a first responder were to cut a high voltage cable trying to shut the car down so they can save you Marsh says, "you could be in world full of hurt."
That shock could be enough to kill someone.
So to make sure this doesn't happen they unplug the battery in the car. But in hybrids this isn't an easy task. Most vehicles only have one battery, but hybrids have two. So first responders have to search through the vehicle to find that second battery and turn it off before they can go in and help you.
"Sometimes they're in the truck, or they're under a seat in the back so you kind of have to know where to look," said Marsh.
While fire fighters who respond to accidents are trained on how to deal with these newly popular cars, they aren't experts. So help your first responders by knowing all you can about your car if you own a hybrid.
The main thing first responders ask you know about your Hybrid car is where and how many batteries are in your car. This way they know how to find them and turn them off so no one gets hurt.
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