Modern Auto Technology Poses Risks to Rescue Workers

State Farm conducts broadcast to educate rescue workers about potential dangers when extricating crash victims from latest cars

BLOOMINGTON, Ill., June 16 -- State Farm(R), the nation's largest automobile insurer, is conducting a national education effort to inform fire departments and emergency medical service (EMS) workers about the potential hazards modern, high-tech vehicles may pose during a rescue.

State Farm's Education & Research Facility will conduct a free, interactive, live broadcast on June 17, 2005 that will provide information on recent advancements in automotive technology. Topics will include advanced technology in hybrid vehicles, air bag systems, and high-tech vehicle construction materials. Emergency rescue workers from around the country will participate in the broadcast live from numerous, local State Farm facilities.

"High voltage lines in hybrid vehicles can produce between 144 and 650 volts. Enough voltage to potentially electrocute someone. Knowing how to safely approach hybrid vehicles involved in accidents will save time and lives," said Bob Medved, senior claims instructor for State Farm. "State Farm is providing information to rescue workers about the new technologies in today's vehicles, which can impact the safety of both the victim and the rescue worker during an emergency extrication."

Nationally-renowned automobile extrication trainer Ron Moore of the McKinney (Texas) Fire Department will join vehicle design professionals from State Farm's Education & Research Facility in Bloomington, Ill. to lead the interactive broadcast from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, June 17, 2005.

"With automakers producing more technically advanced vehicles, rescue workers will see more of these cars involved in accidents. Rescue personnel will need to know how to avoid potentially dangerous situations," said Moore, who has published several books and numerous articles on automobile extrication. "Rescue workers need to keep up with the amazing innovations in cars today so we don't endanger our own lives or delay a rescue when time is of the essence."

  Other timely topics for this first broadcast include:
   -- Preventing injury from accidental deployment of air bags following a
      crash and during rescue, which can injure rescuers and victims inside
      the vehicle;
   -- Avoiding risks in convertibles from retractable roll bars activating
      during a rescue;
   -- And efficiently and effectively cutting through new lightweight,
      ultra-hard metal alloys, such as Boron steel.

About State Farm

State Farm(R) insures more cars than any other insurer in North America and is the leading U.S. home insurer. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 69,000 employees serve nearly 73 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 19 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com(R) or in Canada statefarm.ca(TM).