Elegant design can severely hinder rescue operations in an emergency
Vienna (OTS) – Does form follow function? This rule is not always the top priority in the automotive industry. It is often more important for vehicle manufacturers to be innovative and stand out from the crowd with creative ideas. At least that’s what you could say about the retractable door handles that you can now find on many electric models.
“Basically, a vehicle should be able to be opened quickly and intuitively in an emergency so that first responders can quickly reach potential injured people and treat them as quickly as possible,” explains ÖAMTC technician Steffan Kerbl. “That’s why such tests are also part of the Euro NCAP crash tests.” Fire departments and rescue organizations typically follow the procedures defined in ISO 17840. However, with retractable door handles or door handles integrated into the door that “disappear” flush into the body, there are some natural difficulties in this regard, which was recently pointed out by the ÖAMTC partner club ADAC.
Occasionally: Problems when opening retractable door handles
On the one hand, a large part of the population has no experience with such door handles and therefore does not automatically know how they work. “If passers-by become first responders out of the situation, it may well be that they have to spend unnecessary time opening the car before they can take care of stabilizing and securing the affected person – simply because they “Don’t instinctively know how to open the door,” describes Steffan Kerbl. Experience has shown that it is not only laypeople who need more time to reach the occupants when carrying out such attacks: professional rescue workers also usually take longer.
Furthermore, retractable door handles usually rely on electricity. If the power supply is interrupted due to an accident, it is not always guaranteed that the vehicle can be opened in the usual way. Normally, retractable door handles should unlock automatically in the event of an accident, but according to media reports there have been some cases in which this has not happened.
It is true that retractable door handles must also be able to be opened mechanically from within the car when the power supply is interrupted. This means that first responders can only hope that the occupants themselves are able to trigger this mechanism, since they can only do something from the outside by breaking the window or using special tools. “Drivers of vehicles with such door handles should therefore definitely read the vehicle manual with regard to emergency unlocking and, in the best case, inform passengers what to do in an emergency,” advises Kerbl.
Zwtl.: ÖAMTC recommends mechanical door handles
The ÖAMTC therefore appeals to vehicle manufacturers to refrain from any design experiments with door handles and to prefer robust door handles that can also be operated from the outside without electricity. Depending on the situation, these can also jam, but in an emergency they offer the best conditions for opening the doors from the outside after an accident, even if the body is deformed. “Shaped door handles offer a better grip and this alone enables greater pulling force,” explains expert Steffan Kerbl. In addition, it is worthwhile for owners of affected vehicles to purchase an emergency window hammer that is ready to hand at all times and yet safely stored in the car.
Advice to the editors: Photos for the broadcast can be downloaded at www.oeamtc.at/presse.
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