최근 국내에서도 전기차 사고 이후 견인기사가 시동스위치에 손을 대다가 감전되는 사고가 발생하여 중환자실에 입원한 사례가 등장했다.

▲Professor Kim Pil-su, Department of Future Automobile Engineering, Daerim University
“Electric vehicle electrocution accidents occur, more thorough preparations are needed”
“ There is still no country with a perfect system for passenger rescue and fire spread prevention .”
“ When electric vehicles are launched, we must prepare countermeasures such as submitting vehicle information to the National Fire Agency .”
Although the spread of electric vehicles has been slowing down since the latter half of last year, it is expected that competitiveness will be secured again in the next 3 to 4 years as it is a sort of breathing period.
This means that efforts to improve the cost-effectiveness of electric vehicles must be further strengthened.
Work is also underway to lower the price of electric vehicles to so-called 'half-price electric vehicles', and an important task is how to resolve shortcomings and side effects such as the lack of charging infrastructure.
this Among them, not only should we actively deal with electric vehicle fires, but we should also prepare countermeasures, such as how to pass through flooded roads due to low battery locations and how to avoid crashing into the ground when passing over speed bumps.
Another concern is countermeasures against electric vehicle electrocution accidents.
Although basic rules such as not charging with wet hands are necessary, preventing electric shock accidents caused by leakage inside the vehicle after an electric vehicle accident is also an important precaution.
Recently, in Korea, there was a case where a tow truck driver was hospitalized in the intensive care unit after being electrocuted while touching the ignition switch following an electric vehicle accident.
I think this is the first case in the country.
There are approximately 26 million vehicles registered in the country, of which approximately 570,000 are electric vehicles.
The charging infrastructure is about 250,000 units.
Although the numbers are not that large yet, our country has a very high number of electric vehicles and chargers per unit area, and more and more electric vehicles will be distributed.
However, emergency measures to address various issues related to the increase in electric vehicles are very inadequate.
Countermeasures to proactively deal with electric vehicle fires, etc. In the case of electric vehicles, which are about 500 kg heavier than internal combustion engine vehicles, problems due to weight in lifts or mechanical parking lots, and increased wear and tear on tires and asphalt are also increasing.
In this situation, electric shock accidents due to electric vehicle leakage are a very real possibility.
With the large battery capacity, high voltage and current flow, and depending on the situation, the current does not flow to the required location, but flows to another location in an emergency, which can cause an immediate leakage and lead to a fire or electric shock. It means.
In Korea, too, there has been a recent increase in electric vehicle accidents that have resulted in electric shocks, raising awareness.
Although there have been accidents while charging electric vehicles in Korea in the past, this is the first time that a follow-up measure has resulted in a deduction of points after an electric vehicle accident.
In Germany and other countries, there have been cases where firefighters equipped with special equipment rescued passengers who had collapsed after an electric vehicle accident.
Electric vehicles have large-capacity batteries in the floor, so they are called 'moving home appliances' or 'moving living spaces'.
If a problem occurs, it can cause problems due to leakage current.
The author has always mentioned precautions when popularizing electric vehicles, such as when passing through flooded roads or charging in rainy weather, and has especially emphasized precautions for follow-up measures after an electric vehicle accident.
To eliminate problems caused by current leakage after an electric vehicle accident, rescue workers, including firefighters, must always wear special clothing and special equipment, such as insulating gloves, to safely rescue the driver or passengers.
Since it is impossible to know from the outside whether the passenger fell in an electric vehicle accident due to an electric shock or an impact, the severity of the accident must be determined first.
Domestic firefighters must also always know in advance where the power cutoff switch is for each electric vehicle and what kind of accident occurred when moving to the scene of the accident in case of an electric vehicle fire. They must also always refer to the manual because countermeasures vary depending on the type of electric vehicle.
For example, if you identify the characteristics of the Tesla Model X, such as the Falcon Wing door that opens upwards instead of the normal door, and separate the door of the accident vehicle, This means that you need to know various information in advance, such as the location of the door hinge.
The most important thing after an electric vehicle accident is to take all emergency measures within the golden hour.
Electric vehicle fires spread faster and have higher temperatures than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, and because they start from the floor, passengers do not have a long golden hour.
Even after an electric vehicle accident, the golden hour may be delayed because firefighters must first check for electrical leakage with emergency equipment.
We must systematically reduce preparation time, ensure passenger rescue, and prepare for fire spread, etc.
Electric vehicles still have a short history in the global market, so there is no advanced country with the most advanced system yet.
Our country also has this advanced system and is making efforts to improve the problems by making more efforts.
The National Fire Agency has already prepared an emergency response manual for electric and hydrogen vehicles 4-5 years ago and is fully prepared.
As someone who reviewed the manual at the time, I would say that more effort is needed.
In particular, when domestic or imported electric vehicles are released, it is necessary to take preemptive measures to prepare for electric vehicle accidents that may occur by regularly submitting data containing various information, such as the location of the main power cutoff switch of the vehicle, to the National Fire Agency.
In case of an accident, the manual reference material is provided so that personnel can familiarize themselves with it when going to the accident site.
Currently, the National Fire Agency is considering, educating, and preparing various emergency response methods for newly emerging future mobility.
As mentioned earlier, sales of electric vehicles are slowing down.As efforts to increase cost-effectiveness are expected to continue for several years to come, this should be used as an important time period to reduce various side effects.
I hope that this electric vehicle electrocution accident will serve as an opportunity to establish safer and more reliable manuals and countermeasures.