How To Escape From a Sinking Car
Snipped from slate.com.
With the horrifying thought of being trapped on a collapsing bridge over a river, I felt compelled to bring our readers something useful. And, with America’s infrastructure suffering from years of neglect from a Republican President and Congress who looks the other way when it comes to paying for stuff that really needs to be done (as opposed to a bridge to nowhere), I felt a useful “how to” would be in order. I thought I knew what to do but after reading this, I realized that there is more to this survival technique than meets the eye. So, if you find yourself in the unsavory and frightening position of being trapped in a sinking car, you may want to check out this article.
I guess what strikes me as terrifying is the prospect of being submerged in a closed vehicle while at the same time, sinking at a very fast rate to the bottom of a murky abyss. Could there be anything more terrifying? Well, that appears to be the first hurdle…overcoming your overwhelming desire to panic. The first jolt of adrenaline can be disastrous to a successful exit from an otherwise manageable situation. I find this instruction to be an extreme challenge to anyone who finds themselves in this unfortunate position. Can you imagine yourself being flooded with water in a closed cramped space and leaving your seat belt on until the last minute? Do you think you could be this calm under pressure?
Here is a portion of the article that describes this first critical 20 seconds of escape.
First, roll down the windows. If the windows are still above the waterline, just climb out. But if the car is sinking fast, wait for the interior to fill with water—you won’t be able to open the door until there’s enough water inside the car to equalize the pressure on the outside. Opening the windows helps the water flow in faster, which gives you a better chance of escaping before your car sinks too deep.
Survival experts recommend keeping your seatbelt on until the last possible second. Otherwise, the rush of water could disorient and possibly injure you. Plus, it gives you extra leverage to open the door when it’s time to escape. If for some reason you can’t open the windows or doors, try kicking out the windshield or smashing a side window as a last resort.ACTUAL QUOTE FROM ARTICLE.
If you would like to read the full article and get more information on how to save yourself in this situation, click the image below.
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It would, I should think, be helpful to know how to swim. Also, what does one do should the vehicle’s airbags inflale?
Actually, the article talks about the airbags inflating and mentions that this as one of the reasons that people panic. In all cases, the most important thing to remember is to stay calm.
I have seven years and 4 gigs of information on this subject. The psychological effect of being trapped in a sinking car increases stress. This affects decision making and initiative. Cold water affects physical efficacy. Fear combined with all the other elements can lead to functional “paralysis”, or a type of ineffective busy work that in the pilot world is referred to as “task saturation”. Water will fill the car completely if the depth of the water is greater than the height of the vehicle. There will be no sustainable air bubble or pocket of air if the vehicle becomes completely submerged. All air will exit the vehicle in a relatively short amount of time. If the depth of the water is greater than 18 feet, the weight of the engine will pull the car down until it is sinking in the vertical position. It will most likely roll onto its top under these circumstances. Air will be quickly pushed through the back seat and out the trunk as the car sinks. Many people are found out of their belts and in the back seat in these types of accidents. This is because they are trying to follow the air as it escapes out of the back of the car. In some cases contaminants will come through the holes in the floorboard and foul the escaping air. Every second that you stay with the car your odds of living decrease. According to a recent study, if the vehicle becomes completely submerged under water, your chance of survival drops to 1 in 4. The government tracks about 300 vehicle immersion deaths a year while many other safety groups claim that there are nearly twice as many vehicle immersion deaths. Complexity of escape information, different advice mandates from different safety experts and wrong information lead to deaths every year according to a study recently completed by Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht and his team of researchers including Gerren McDonald at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. The Canadian study also found that staying with your vehicle until it sinks is the most dangerous solution. It goes on to suggest that the steps best suited to maximize survivability should be as few as possible, easiest to understand, and with little or no variation. They are emphatic in their view that occupants of a submerging vehicle must get themselves out in order to insure survival. There is not enough time in more that 99% of cases where a vehicle completely submerges to wait for help to arrive. Calling 911 while still trapped in the vehicle is wasting valuable time. We endorse their findings. There steps are the simplest we have ever come across and they make the most sense in all vehicle entrapment situations.;
1. Get everyone out of their seatbelts and ready to go.
2. Open a window. Break it if necessary.
3. Every one get out.
Notes: some experts recommend opening the window first. This is a bad idea. Most people will get away with it but some will drown strapped into their belts in this scenario. The study recommends keeping a tool in the car for breaking a window. We take it a step further with a smart little innovation that turns every seatbelt in the car into a glass break device. Google “Escape Tip” to learn more.