New Vehicle Technology

New Vehicle Technology challenges first responders N.V.T. seems to be the buzzword with extrication these days. Today's vehicles are safer, smaller and more fuel-efficient. The recently imposed legislated improvements to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 214 and most recently 216, deal with side and roof strength and also the integrity of motor vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) is the governing body that imposes these standards backed by the American Congress. These standards state that the vehicle manufacturers must meet a minimum requirement to limit crush intrusion into the passenger compartment thus reducing overall injuries to vehicle occupants. The use of Ultra High Strength Steel or multiple layers of steel to repel crush forces from crash impact has become the solution to absorb and inhibit these forces. FMVSS 216 doubles the current roof strength requirement for light vehicles weighing up to 6,000 pounds. It specifies that both the driver and passenger sides of the roof must be capable of withstanding a force equal to three times the weight of the vehicle. The tougher roof crush requirements are part of a comprehensive plan to address rollover crashes, which kill about 10,000 people annually.

Quite a number of high-end luxury vehicles have met this standard previously but now this will become mandatory even for entry-level vehicles. This is great news as a consumer, but poses a challenge for rescuers extricating patients from these vehicles especially when crash forces at higher speeds are even beyond the limits of these exotic metals. Although we are seeing people walk away from crashes that would normally be fatal in the past, it does lead some drivers to believe that “the safer my car is, the faster I can drive and still be protected”. Unfortunately this mind set is what keeps us rescuers in business. Not only is the steel in new vehicles changing, but also the size and shape of A-B and C pillars of