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2 answers

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No, I doubt this is true. It's probably true that some rescue workers are afraid of electric vehicles, and it's normal to be wary of something new. But EVs are less dangerous, overall, than gas powered vehicles.
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First of all, there is no high voltage running into the passenger compartment of an EV, just like there are no gasoline lines running there in a normal car. There is no reason to send dangerous voltages there. It is always safe to cut people from wrecked cars.
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Secondly, electric cars use a "dead man switch." This is a switch and relay that has to be held closed by the accelerator pedal before any electricity can leave the battery box. If this failsafe doesn't work, there is a fuse that will blow.
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Stopping the flow of electricity is much easier than stopping fuel flowing from a broken gasoline line.
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And finally, battery voltage is much safer than the AC current that comes out of the wall socket in your home. Since the traction voltage in an EV is not grounded, you cannot be shocked unless you touch both live wires at the same time. Accidentally touching one live wire will not harm you. And even if everything went wrong, and the 'jaws of life' touched both live wires, electric current takes the shortest path - so current would flow through the equipment, not through the operator.
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2007-03-24 17:20:38 · answer #1 · answered by apeweek 6 · 0 0

That's a new one on me.

The Jaws are hydraulically controlled anyway, and their power source (power is required to pump the hydraulic oil through the tools) is usually on-board the apparatus, away from the wrecked car, so risk of spark is none. That makes them especially useful on conventional gas-powered cars.

I learned in Firefighter class that manufacturers of electric and hybrid cars, like Ford and Toyota, were advising fire departments where the shutoff switch was for the batteries, just to be completely safe. If and when these cars become more popular, their manufacturers will have to continue advising departments where these switches are.

2007-03-25 11:22:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

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