After the accident in Minnesota, I wonder how could we react to escape the car when it's in the water?

Answer 1

How to Escape from a Sinking Car
Any car accident is frightening, but an accident in which your vehicle is thrown into the water, with you trapped inside, is absolutely terrifying. Such accidents are particularly dangerous due to the risk of drowning, but the fact is that most deaths that occur from being trapped in a sinking vehicle are avoidable. Escape usually requires only a cool head, a little know-how and, sometimes, patience.

Steps [edit]Remain calm. The preceding events will no doubt get your adrenaline pumping, but don't panic. You must move quickly and effectively to ensure your survival. Take a few breaths to calm yourself down, but don't spend more than about 2 seconds doing this.
Get out quickly Unbuckle your seat belt and make sure you don’t get tangled up in it. Many victims of this sort of accident drown with the car doors open or windows down, with their seat belts still securely fastened. You can try to open the door (make sure to unlock it first) but don’t waste much time on this: if the water is up to the door, you probably won’t be able to open it. Instead try to roll down the window as quickly as possible, and escape from the opened window.
Try to open your window. The best way to get out if this is the case is to open the window. If this is not possible—electric windows, for example, may malfunction—try to break the window out and escape. However if you have manually operated windows you are in luck because they work even if some water is visable but this still represents a small amount of time. If you can only see about an inch of water outside the window it should still open pretty easily but after that it get pregressively harder due to the pressure being exerted on it from the outside. If you have electrically operated windows then obvisiously breaking the windows is the only remaining opition. The side windows and rear window are tempered, which means that they will break when struck hard enough with a pointed object. There are special tools called "window punches" (a spring-loaded center punch) and other tools designed for this purpose. The windshield, however, is actually two pieces of glass laminated together with a thin strip of plastic in-between. You will not be able to break through the windshield. Don't bother trying. If you are not yet completely under water yet. Break a window and crawl out. Don't bother opening the door you don't have time. However keep in mind if you are already under water that when you break the window, water will rapidly flow into the car. This is frightening, but try to remain calm. Without allowing water into the car to balance out the pressure acting on the car from the outside, it will be very difficult to open the door and escape.
Climb into the back seat. If you are unable to open your windows, climb into the back seat as quickly as possible. The car's engine will cause the car to sink front-end first, creating an air pocket in the back of your vehicle. The trapped air will allow you more time to break a window or open a door once the air and water pressure in and around the car equalizes.
Keep your head above water. As the vehicle fills with water, you need to make sure you can still breathe. If the car lands upright you may simply be able to remain in your seat, but if the car lands on its top or side, you will have to maneuver within the car to keep your head in the air pocket.
Escape through a window or open the door as soon as you can. Water will initially flow into the car very quickly, so you may not be able to escape from an open window. Remember to make sure your door is unlocked. In your haste you may think you can’t open the door when all you need to do is unlock it.
Swim to the surface as quickly as possible. Push off the car and swim to the surface. If you don’t know which way to swim, look for light and swim toward it or follow any bubbles you see as they will be going up, or allow yourself to float for a moment. You will eventually start to float towards the surface. Be aware of your surroundings as you swim and surface. You may have to deal with a strong current or obstacles such as rocks, concrete bridge supports, or even passing boats. Avoid injuring yourself on these things, and use them to your advantage if you are too injured or exhausted to make it to land once you surface.
Get medical attention as soon as possible. The adrenaline in your bloodstream after the escape may make you unable to immediately detect any other injuries you may have sustained in the accident.



Tips [edit]If all else fails, your last resort should be to sit in your car until it completely fills with water, there will then be equal pressure in the water you are in and the outside of your car. Open the door and swim to safety.
Your clothing and heavy objects in your pockets can make you sink. Be mentally prepared to kick off your shoes and remove heavy outer clothing such as jackets if necessary. The less clothing you have on the easier swimming will be. Even your pants (especially denim) will weigh you down significantly.
Assist children out of the vehicle before you exit. Children will panic and may need assistance. Because they are smaller, it should be easier to get them out of the car.
Take control of the situation. If you’re traveling with other people, tell them what to do (i.e. unbuckle seat-belts, remain calm, etc.) in order to escape.
Be prepared. A variety of emergency products are available that can help you break your car window. Some of these are combined with products you already carry in your car, such as flashlights and key rings. Small spring-loaded hammers or punches (“power punches”) may provide the easiest and most portable solution, but you could even carry your own hammer. Just make sure your tool is easily accessible at all times.
If you don’t have a special tool to break the windows, use anything you can. Hammers, screwdrivers, and steering wheel locks are very good. You can also elbow the window, or try to kick it out, but you will have to give it all you’ve got.
Side and rear windows are the best options for escape. Front windows (windshields) are made with safety glass, which will stick together when broken and which may thus be difficult to remove. Some more expensive cars also use safety glass for the sides.
The easiest way to break a window is to strike it near a corner or edge.
Fully recline your seat to make escape and maneuvering inside the vehicle easier. Don't do this if someone is sitting behind you.
While you almost certainly won’t be able to open a door that’s at all submerged in the water, it’s valuable to note that the end of the car that contains the engine will usually sink fastest, often leaving the car at an angle so that part of it (usually the back) is above water for a while. You may thus be able to open some doors, but not others, while the car is still floating.
If you can easily do so, remove heavy shoes or bulky clothes while you are in the vehicle. Bulky clothing can get snagged on something, trapping you when would otherwise be able to escape, and heavy clothes or boots may fill with water and make it difficult to swim to the surface, especially if you’re not a strong swimmer.
Be mindful of all exits from your vehicle to include passage through drop-down back seats and out the trunk using the emergency trunk release handle that is a feature of some newer cars.
If you have electric doors and windows, if you can, fully lower the windows upon contact with the water before they short out. When the electrical system goes out you may not be able to lower them and the doors will only unlock manually.
You may be able to open the car door once the car has filled with water because the pressure on the door has equalized. However, you should probably be out of the car long before it fills with water.
If you have a sunroof, open it and escape through there before the water reaches the top of the car.
Don't bother turning your lights off- even turn them on if you are unlikely to be able to point out your vehicle or escape from it - the light's electronics are usually waterproofed, and the lights themselves will help rescuers find your vehicle. Electric shock is very unlikely - and almost certainly not dangerous in these situations.



Warnings [edit]Be careful when breaking the windows, as glass can fly around and you may cut yourself, especially if you need to use your elbow or feet.
Don't take anything heavy or unnecessary with you, and remember that everything is unnecessary in this situation. If your wallet and cell phone are already in your pockets, you can leave them in there, but don’t try to collect other belongings.
Fluids from the engine that are lighter than water may seep into the car, and the fumes from these can pollute your air pocket. Get out of the vehicle as soon as you can.
Don’t wait for help. Rescuers will most likely not be able to reach you in time, and even if they do, there’s usually not much they can do for you. You’re on your own.

Answer 2

I'm thinking that the the right thing to do might be to roll your windows up ,not down,
The problem with the windows being down is that it guarantees that a second or two after you hit the water your car will fill up with water and sink .If the landing knocks you around , the rolled down window will seal your fate.
With the windows up you have a little time to figure out if in fact you are in danger and what your next move is. Call 911 .
Duct tape an M-80 w/ a cigarette fuse to the rear window and use the back of the front seat for cover .There are obviously many other possible solutions available .

Answer 3

Well if your car somehow lands in the water i would recommend beatting out the window. They sell window breaking devices at most stores in the hunting section. If you cannot break the window don't panic, if the car is not to submerged you might be able to open the door. i would not recommend this if you have small children with you for the car will them fill with water faster. If you cannot open the door wait until the car is completly submerged and then try and open the door, there is a good possibility it will open. If you really want o be safe spend 10 bucks and buy a hammer and keep it in your glovebox. Well I hope this helps.

Answer 4

The odds of this happening to anyone are something like 1 in a million, in your whole life, and you can lower the odds even more by linking from www.highways.org to find out which bridges in your neck of the woods are known by the government to be unsafe or deficient.

In your life you have a 1 in 7 chance of being victimized by identify theft. You probably will be in lots of fender benders. You should only worry about the 1 in 1 million chances after you know how to cope with the 1 in 100 chances of bad stuff happening.

As to how to escape car under water in the 1 in 1 million chance of bridge going down, or the much more likely case of local flooding before your car gets to where the road is covered in water, read through this category of safety.

Scores of other people have asked variations on the same question & got lots of good answers.

Answer 5

They talked about this on Mythbusters a few weeks ago. There is a tiny hammer that you can buy that is designed to break your window in case you are ever in an emergency like that. They also showed that the only way to get out before your car sinks to the bottom is to open the door as soon as you hit the water, but even then it is a race against time. I plan on buying one of those small hammers to keep in my car.

Answer 6

They did something like that on Mythbusters, you can buy a window punch or one of those emergency hammers to break a side window to get out. The outside pressure is greater then inside the car and most likely wont be able to open a door.

Answer 7

Mythbusters covered it once...they make a small hammer like device you can carry with you that will shatter the window, cut your seat belt loose from you if it gets jammed, and I think a flashlight or something like it. I think you can probably find them at Wal Mart.

*EDIT* The last question must have been posted as I was typing funny huh...and don't EVER buy one of these things and keep it in your TRUNK...you would be surprised how many people put them there...

Answer 8

i know "mythbusters" did a segment on this awhile back. you can wait for th pressure to equalize, but then it might be too late. or, you can buy a small hammer designed to break the tempered glass car windows are made of. they sell at hardware stores, and were made for this type of emergency. this episode premiered january 24, 2007.
a link for videos you may want to check out...

search "submerged vehicle escape"

they had a couple of good ones, including a "mythbusters" clip illustrating why waiting for the pressure to equalize is not the best option.

Answer 9

that's in all probability no longer the 1st time you have had a controversy with this. human beings do no longer in basic terms react that way on a commonplace reaction. possibly you're a clutz. or perhaps you have made him late for artwork earlier. or perhaps you act like a drama queen all of the time and cry wolf so he did no longer see it as severe. i do no longer comprehend. you're able to desire to sit down down and communicate with him approximately it. tell him the style you experience. do no longer anticipate he does not care or does not love you. you will desire to never be afraid to tell your companion something by using fact of what you think of their reaction could be. i wouldn't in any respect hesitate to call my husband after an twist of destiny. it somewhat is in basic terms a motor vehicle. that's replaced or fastened. that's an incredible element you weren't harm.

Answer 10

I was thinking the same thing last night when I was going to bed. I heard one time to actually wait until the car is completely capsized, and once the pressure levels you are able to open the door/break the window. I need to look that up.

Answer 11

Roll down your window is the best way, if you haven't shorted the electric windows. If you get the window open you will then be able to open the door as the pressure on the outside of the doors in the water would be equalized.